Catalonia’s Human Towers
By Katie Arango
No one could ever accuse Spain of not having enough interesting/odd/colorful traditions. First off we have the Christmas Caganers from Barcelona, which is exactly what it looks like: pooping figurines. Then we’ve got the tomato throwing festival in Buñol, where people throw 40 metric tons of tomatoes all over each other. But one of the most enchanting, hands-down, is that of the Castellers from Catalonia. Maybe you’ve seen them before; they typically look something like this:
But what is this particular tradition all about anyway?
History
The tradition of Human Towers goes back two centuries in Southern Catalonia, and only officially came to Barcelona in 1969. The word Castellers means “Castle makers” so it’s not too hard to imagine how they got their name.
Method
It’s not just that a group of people get together one day and start climbing on each other’s shoulders. The castle is composed of three separate parts. The base or pinya, is mostly composed of men. And even though this part might look like chaos, each member of the group has a specific position in tower. Next comes the trunk or tronc. And the top part is called the pom de dalt, and logically enough is a role typically given to children, since they tend to weigh less. And don’t worry, despite their training, these kids get to wear protective helmet nowadays.
Fast Facts
Have you ever seen a human tower being constructed? If so, tell us about it in the comments section below!
Katie Arango
Program Director, Argentina:Katie, a US native, had traveled to Buenos Aires on several extended trips before the citys lure became too strong and she decided to call it home. Long fascinated by the global scene, Katie earned a degree in International Studies from Miami University and spent time studying and living in Madrid, Spain. She then worked in marketing for an international board game company followed by a brief foray as an online community editor for several websites before joining the Connect-123 team. Still a tourist at heart herself, Katie loves watching newcomers discover the charm of Buenos Aires and takes great pleasure in helping them make the most out of their work and volunteer opportunities while experiencing everything this dynamic city has to offer.
hi, only a comment: the anxaneta when arrives to the top of the castle doesn’t raise 4 fingers, they move the whole hand to sign that the castle are “carregat” ..the gesture is called “aleta” and do not symbolize the catalan flag!
Thanks for the comment, anirac! We’ve just updated the post!