Castellers: Barcelona’s Human Towers
The origin of this Catalan tradition comes from the 18th century. The people of Valls, a small-town west of Barcelona, started building the towers, giving the opportunity to individual groups (colles) to compete later in sporting events.
The towers consist of three levels:
- The basis – “Pinya”: large ring that stabilizes the castell. It softens the fall when the tower falls
- “Tronc”: several levels of a specific number of individuals
- “Pom de dalt”: the tower dome (reserved for kids)
Each casteller has its own position and function within the structure. Once the “Pinya” is placed, each member falls into their own position in a pre-defined order. Once the castell is formed, the “Anxenta” climbs up to greet the crowd. The technique of building and de-constructing a castell is constantly trained.
After the tower is crowned, it’s time for its deconstruction. For this process, the kids at “Pom de dalt” are given foam-padded helmets.
During the building of the castell, a flute and drum play a song (Toc se Castells), indicating the different building phases.
The Castellers of Today
Until the 20th century, 7-level towers were built. The number today can reach up to 9 tower levels, something that has been achieved only by 10 “colles” from the Coordinadora the Colles Castelleres de Catalunya”.
Since 2010, this incredible tradition is also a part of the ‘Intangible World Heritage’ by UNESCO.
Tags: # Meeting #ErasmusPlus #Ethics #HumanTowers
Below are some pictures from the partners’ visit in Mataro, Catalonia, Spain.
