Castells or Human Towers

By Anna Chalons

In Catalonia there are many traditions which represent the spirit of Catalonia. Some of them refer to music, dancing, different kinds of food religions celebrations…

The best well known is “Els Castellers”. This is a human tower where  young and old, men and women participate.

Castelling began almost 200 years ago near Tarragona, just south of Barcelona. People form themselves into human towers with groups competing against each other in order to build   the highest and most elegant structures.

In Catalonia there are many “Colles Castelleres”, this is what the teams are called,  apart  from taking part in competitions they performance in their local celebrations.

Actually  "Castells"  are inscribed on Unesco's list of "intangible cultural heritage".