Where do they do the human tower?
Every year in Spain, a Catalan tradition of building Castells—human towers reaching up to 10 stories—takes place. Teams called colles compete to build the tallest and most complex tower made only of human beings standing atop one another.
How often do they have a competition in Tarragona?
The human towers competition that every two years pits the best groups in the country against each other will see 42 teams competing to build the tallest and most complex constructions.
How tall are the human towers in Spain?
From Great Big Story, a very tall story — 9 to 10 tiers and nearly 15.4 meters or 50 feet high — from Tarragona, Spain where thousands of people gather for an incredible contest of strength, focus, and teamwork. Behold the Human Towers of Catalonia, a rural tradition that dates back to the 18th century.
Where is Los castells?
The castells have their origins in a traditional folklore dance in the city of Valls. The steps of the dance were accompanied with the flute, as it is still played today during the tower building.
Where is Catalan in Spain?
Catalonia consists of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The capital and largest city, Barcelona is the second-most populated municipality in Spain and the fifth-most populous urban area in the European Union.
What is the highest Castell?
In 2015 the Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya hosted 99 groups, including Castellers de Vilafranca and Minyons de Terrassa, who were able to construct the tallest human tower to date, the “4 de 10” (10 levels of people with four in each level).
How tall is tallest Castell?
The tallest medieval castle tower ever built is generally considered to be the Chateau de Coucy keep, or donjon, which measured 55 m high and 35 m wide. Located in Picardy, France, it was constructed in the 1220s by Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy, and was destroyed in April 1917 during World War I.
When did human towers start?
The origins of this Catalan tradition of building human towers dates back to the 18th century. It was in the small town of Valls, about 40 km west of Barcelona, that the inhabitants started building the towers, The individual groups (colles) started to compete in sporting events.
Where are the castellers, human towers of Catalonia located?
Castellers, human towers of Catalonia Members of ‘Castellers de Sants’ complete their human tower during the 27th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain. ‘Castells’ were declared by Unesco one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Where did the tradition of building human towers come from?
The Catalan tradition of building human towers or castells (the Catalan word for ‘castle’) originated in Valls, near the city of Tarragona in Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain with its own distinct language and culture. Since the 1980s the phenomenon has become increasingly popular…
Why was Pere Catala I Pic interested in human towers?
When Pere Català i Pic started as a photographer in 1916, the boom of human towers had already ended, and the practice was in a deep crisis. He searched for old pictures because he wanted to know what those enormous human towers looked like. He ultimately became one of most important photographers of these towers.
Where did the Castellers de Sants come from?
The Catalan tradition is believed to have originated from human towers built at the end of the 18th century by dance groups and is part of the Catalan culture. Michael Williams Main image: Members of ‘Castellers de Sants’ complete their human tower during the 27th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain.