Celebrating skill and community spirit
Looking for unique sporting events on your next vacation? In Catalonia, you’ll be amazed by impressive human towers, known as castells, soaring into the sky, some as high as ten stories. This Catalan tradition is over 200 years old and is passed on from one generation to the next, as both adults and children participate in it. In 2010, the castells were awarded the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity designation, which highlights the group effort and human creativity of these creations.
Castells can be divided into three parts. The pinya, the base of the castell, is the group of people whose feet are touching the ground and who exert pressure towards the core, serving as a cushion in case of a fall. The tronc is the central part of the castell, the people who can be seen above the pinya, or base. Finally, the castell culminates with the pom de dalt. This is the upper part of the structure, formed by children and always in the same arrangement: two castellers holding arms (called dosos), another one squatting on his shoulders, called aixecador or acotxador, and the last one, (known as enxaneta), who must reach up and raise his hand symbolically.
It is important to highlight the amateur nature of this activity. The members of the colleges castelleres (the associations or clubs of Catalonia’s castelleres, or castle-makers) are not athletes or circus artists; they are ordinary men, women, and children who get together to enjoy an activity they are passionate about. However, being in good physical condition is necessary to play certain roles, and long rehearsals are also needed to erect these human constructions.
Would you like to see them live? They usually arise in squares in front of the main balcony of the town hall to celebrate festivities; it’s common for the audience to gather around the base to take in this exciting spectacle to the full. Every year, around 800 castells performances take place in Catalonia, particularly from April to October, and generally on weekends, so don’t miss the opportunity to see them live and join the excitement.
You can also visit Tarragona for the longest, most competitive, and thrilling of these events, The Concurs de Castells, which is held every two years in this Mediterranean city. During the first weekend of October, 42 different clubs take part in the competition, which becomes a great celebration for the entire castells community and, at the same time, a showcase and revitalizing factor for this incredible tradition.
