On October 3-4, Catalonia's top teams will gather in Tarragona for one of the region's most spectacular traditions: the prestigious Castells competition, which involves building human towers that can reach up to ten stories high.
Every two years, the Tarraco Arena in Tarragona is transformed into the center of Catalan tradition castles. Here the leading figures meet hill towers, the team that builds the human towers, together with local groups in front of a large audience.
This year's competition will be held on October 3rd and 4th and is described as the most prestigious and well-attended human tower competition of the season. The traditions at the venue go back a long way – the first edition of the competition was held back in 1932.
Human towers with 200 years of history
Castells has been built in Catalonia for more than 200 years. The tradition originated in Camp de Tarragona and Penedès around the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century and has since spread throughout Catalonia.
The towers can be up to ten stories high and require extensive cooperation between the participants. Today there are nearly 100 hill towers, and in the 21st century, the groups have implemented some of the most advanced constructions in the history of the tradition.
In 2010, it was taken castles on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Tradition that has evolved over time
Despite its historical roots, castles has changed along with society. Women now participate in a tradition that was originally reserved for men, while safety measures have been introduced, including special helmets for children.
The tradition is also based on values such as teamwork, solidarity, non-profit commitment and social community. The groups are open to people of different ages and with different social and cultural backgrounds.
The participants are not professional athletes or circus performers. Castells is an amateur activity where ordinary people train together to be able to implement the advanced human constructions.
