Castellers, a show consisting in building Catalan human towers is one of the most shocking Catalan traditions for most tourists who visit Barcelona for the first time. They might have heard about it before and want to watch the show, or they get lucky enough to bump into one of these Barcelona human towers in Plaça Sant Jaume while walking around the Gothic neighborhood (or in other villages which also held this tradition).
To avoid that initial shock, we decided to go a bit through the History of this tradition, and also give you some information about when and where to watch this cultural show of the Catalan human towers in Barcelona.
Where does this tradition come from?
We find the origins of the Catalan human towers in a traditional ball, specifically the “Ball dels Valencians”, in València, which used to take place during religious processions. This ball usually ended with a closing in form of a “human construction” that today we call “castells”. This was possible thanks to the independence that this final part gained from the ball, making it a show by itself.
In the seventeenth century the popularity of this “Catalan human towers” made them spread through the South of Catalonia, specifically “Camp de Tarragona”. This is why nowadays the most popular celebrations are still held in this part of the country.
The figure of the human tower builder: “casteller”
“Castellers”, this is what we call these brave people who are able to build human towers using their bodies along with a shared group trustiness and self-confidence. Actually, shared values of “castellers” are strength, balance, courage and common sense.
A cultural tradition to foster social rights among women
In 2010 “castells” (Catalan human towers) were recognized as Immaterial Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Also, beyond the physical preparation and the social support this tradition received, the most relevant element in social terms is the fact that women were also able to join this tradition which was forbidden for females until three decades ago.
Where to watch a human tower competition?
If you don’t want to leave the city without having watched a human tower competition, “castellers”, here we are the main ones:
- Festa Major de Terrassa
- Les Santes de Mataró
- Tots Sants in Vilafranca del Penedès
- Diada dels Minyons de Terrassa
You can also enjoy this cultural show during La Mercè in Barcelona or during Festes Majors in villages all around Catalonia. You can check when these human tower competitions, “castellers”, are taking place through this website.