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Home / Type of trip / Culture / Human towers in Girona

Human towers in Girona

October 29, 2015 by Gretta Schifano 26 Comments

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 1, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 1, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

I watch the small girl as she climbs up the man’s back – and  I marvel at her agility. She looks to be about five or six years old. The man stands still, leaning in to the rest of the group as she climbs. The child moves quickly, her knees splayed sideways, frog-like. Everyone in the square is silent. She walks from his shoulders across the shoulders of the thirty or so other burly men who are clustered together in formation. At the centre of the group an adolescent girl stands on the shoulders of a man. On her shoulders stands a slightly smaller girl. I know what’s going to happen next, and I can hardly bear to watch. I hold my breath.

Castells – human towers

We’re standing in the square below Girona Cathedral on a mild October evening. I’m visiting the Costa Brava in Northern Spain for a few days with my husband and kids (17 and 12 years old) and we’re at a rehearsal of the Marrecs de Salt, a local group of Castellers. Castellers means ’castle makers’ and is a tradition which dates back to the eighteenth century in Catalonia. Teams work together to build the tallest and most complex human towers possible – the highest ever achieved had 10 levels. I first saw a castell when I was working as an English teacher in the region years ago, and it is my most vivid memory of that time. I’m thrilled that my kids now have the chance to see these marvellous human towers too.

Girona

Our visit coincides with the festivities for Girona’s patron saint, Saint Narcis, and the Marrecs de Salt are rehearsing for a performance in front of thousands of people which is scheduled for the weekend. Locals Anna Barceló and Gemma Suñer from the Costa Brava  Tourist Board have brought us along to the rehearsal.

The castellers have positioned themselves at the bottom of the steps which lead from the square to the city’s Baroque cathedral. We walked up and down these steps earlier in the day and my son counted them: there are 92 in total. As we watch, the child climbs nimbly from the shoulders of the men at the base of the castell and up the backs of the two older girls who are standing above them. She’s wearing a crash helmet, she has bare feet and she looks tiny. She reaches the top and stands high above the square, one hand on her hip, the other raised straight up in the air. I breathe.

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 2, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 2, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Moving tower

A man calls out some instructions to the castellers in Catalan and they start to move, still in formation, with the column of three girls swaying above them. My daughter whispers; ‘This is insane’. I hold my breath again, and feel slightly sick, as they walk up the steps towards the cathedral.

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 3, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 3, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 4, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 4, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 5, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

Marrecs de Salt human tower rehearsal 5, Girona. Copyright Sal Schifano

They stop two thirds of the way up the steps, the girls climb down carefully and we spectators – there are only a couple of dozen of us – clap. My husband says: ‘How can parents bear to let their children do that?’ Anna says: ‘The parents will be involved too. People who do this live it.’ The smallest girl looks happy and relaxed: she’s carried down the steps on the shoulders of one of the men.

Anna introduces me to Sebastià Morató, president of the Marrecs de Salt, and he says how pleased he is that more women and girls are getting involved in the group. He says: ‘It’s good that we have more women and girls taking part as we can build bigger castles because they’re lighter’.

Costumes

The castellers are wearing ordinary clothes but many of them have a wide black sash wrapped tightly around the midriff. This is to support their backs and also to help the climbers to gain a foothold. When they perform for real the castellers all wear white trousers, a black sash and a brightly coloured shirt, and it looks very theatrical. Each group has its own shirt colour and Sebastià says that their colour is blue.

We spend the next hour watching the group as they practice building their towers. We see them walking up the steps in formation several more times, the column of girls swaying above the crowd of men.

Music

The group’s band accompanies them on their folk instruments at various points, and I learn that the music is an integral part of the construction of a castell, signalling various stages to the participants and the spectators. I film them walking to the top of the steps in formation, accompanied by their band:

Verdict:

It’s an amazing spectacle to witness the creation of a traditional castell. If you’re ever in Catalonia it’s worth checking to see if there are any castell performances which coincide with your visit – these often happen in public squares on feast days and there is no charge to watch them. You just need to get there early to find a good spot to watch from.

Disclosure: We visited the Costa Brava as guests of the Costa Brava Tourist Board. Thank you to Anna Barceló and Gemma Suñer for arranging our visit to the rehearsal, and also to the marvellous and brave Marrecs de Salt themselves for allowing us to film and photograph them.

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Related

Categories: Culture, Spain
Tags: castells, Catalonia, costa brava, Girona, human towers, Spain

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Trish (Mum's Gone To) says

    December 15, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Just catching up with your blog posts so apologies for the delay in commenting.

    What a spectacle – and, OMG, how brave is that little girl!
    Trish (Mum’s Gone To) recently posted…Rhine-Main Cruise with Emerald Waterways: Miltenberg, Würzburg and BambergMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Charly Dove says

    November 11, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Oh wow Gretta what an amazing sight, how high are they!!!! Must have been quite nerve wracking to watch but also fascinating too. Fabulous 🙂
    Charly Dove recently posted…Awesome family games from MegableuMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Globalmouse says

    November 9, 2015 at 6:48 pm

    This looks like an amazing sight! What a fantastic opportunity to be able to see it for yourselves.
    Globalmouse recently posted…A week of sport & fun with Mark Warner holidays at Levante Resort, Rhodes, GreeceMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Donna @OrdCyclingGirl says

    November 5, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    I heard about this on my trip to Catalunya recently, but we never got to see it taking place. Brilliant to see pictures of it, the show looks amazing! But oh my goodness, my heart would have been in my mouth!
    Donna @OrdCyclingGirl recently posted…The Cycle Touring Travel BugMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Kara says

    November 3, 2015 at 6:24 am

    Wow, what an amazing spectacle. We flew into Girona to go to Barcelona and looks like we missed a beautiful city
    Kara recently posted…The Snow Queen – Magic of the Ice Mirror DVD GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
  6. oana79 says

    November 1, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    Gretta, what a fantastic show and tradition, I am so glad you were allowed to take pictures, it does sound absolutely fascinating!xx
    oana79 recently posted…Christmas Gift Guide: A Swimmer’s DreamMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Ickle Pickle says

    November 1, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Oh wow I bet this was very exciting to watch! I would love to visit this part of Spain. Kaz x
    Ickle Pickle recently posted…My Weekly Photo 1 November 2015My Profile

    Reply
  8. Stephen says

    October 31, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    It must have been amazing to watch, though I am glad no one did fall!
    Stephen recently posted…SPONSORED: Wrapping up warm for Winter walksMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Sonia says

    October 31, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    Wow that is amazing, I’d be terrified someone was going to fall though.
    Sonia recently posted…Family Games from MEGABLEUMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Ninjacat says

    October 31, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    How fascinating to watch I love this

    Reply
  11. Ness @ JibberJabberUK says

    October 30, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    What an amazing spectacle. I doubt it would get past health & safety in the UK!
    Ness @ JibberJabberUK recently posted…Winter Home Furnishing IdeasMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      I think you’re right there!

      Reply
  12. Sarah Bailey says

    October 30, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Wow that is amazing – i have to admit I might be slightly worried people would fall though. x
    Sarah Bailey recently posted…belVita softens your morning this winterMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      Yes, that’s how I felt.

      Reply
  13. Ting at My Travel Monkey says

    October 30, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Oh gosh, I think I would have had to have watched through my fingers… what an amazing thing to see. I have never heard of castellers or been to Girona. I hope I’d get to see this one day!
    Ting at My Travel Monkey recently posted…An Overview: A Family Break in San Sebastián My Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 10:24 pm

      It’s an amazing thing to see, even though it’s hard to watch!

      Reply
  14. Sonya Cisco says

    October 30, 2015 at 11:34 am

    Looks brilliant, but like you my heart would have been in my mouth watching!
    Sonya Cisco recently posted…Quirky and Pretty Gift Guide #MerryGivemasMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) says

    October 30, 2015 at 11:21 am

    Woah, what an amazing thing to see. I love traditions like this. They really make visits to places so much fun
    Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) recently posted…Pipecleaner Firework PrintsMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Cass@frugalfamily says

    October 30, 2015 at 10:15 am

    That looks amazing – I don’t think I would have dared watch though as I’d be worrying someone would fall 😉
    Cass@frugalfamily recently posted…Five Frugal things I’ve done this week to save money {30th October 2015}….My Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 10:52 am

      My problem exactly – but I did watch!

      Reply
  17. Jaime Oliver says

    October 30, 2015 at 8:46 am

    oh my goodness i am such a wimp! looking at this made my belly turn over! .. they must have nerves of steel!
    Jaime Oliver recently posted…Pregnancy Update – October … 6 Months InMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 10:53 am

      I know, the girls who climbed up are just so brave and strong!

      Reply
  18. Daniel Ruiz says

    October 30, 2015 at 7:33 am

    I’m from Catalonia, and every time I watch Castells feel it’s incredible!! Some of them rich 9 or 10 levels… An amazing team job.
    Saludos
    Daniel Ruiz recently posted…Disfrutando a tope en el Playmobil Fun Park de Núremberg, AlemaniaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 8:11 am

      I’ve not seen one that high – that’s amazing.

      Reply
  19. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    October 30, 2015 at 7:27 am

    This looks fascinating – I would definitely be holding my breath though.
    Cathy (MummyTravels) recently posted…Reviewing Sunuva’s new range in AntiguaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 30, 2015 at 8:10 am

      It was nerve-wracking to watch, but it’s an amazing tradition.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Resorts of Costa Brava - JuggleMum says:
    November 12, 2015 at 6:40 am

    […] the next day. We saw them preparing for their famous human towers spectacle which my fellow blogger Gretta caught on camera as she was there at the same time as us! The streets were narrow and quaint and it was in one of […]

    Reply

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