A seven-metre statue of a winegrower was on Monday placed in the spot it has traditionally occupied in Limassol’s municipal garden ahead of the city’s 65th Wine Festival.

The statue is of a man in traditional Cypriot dress, including a waistcoat and the iconic baggy trousers, known as a vrakas, holding a traditional wine jug in one hand and a bunch of grapes in the other.

The statue’s positioning was serenaded by a local band and hailed by the city’s mayor Yiannis Armeftis, who said that preparations for this year’s festival are “in the final stage”.

“I want to invite everyone on September 26, when the Wine Festival starts, which will run until October 4. I believe the 65th Wine Festival will be even better than last year’s. I invite everyone, from every corner of Cyprus, to come and enjoy special carefree moments. Long live the wine festival!” he said.