A proper castell is at least six levels high, and the tallest of all have ten
PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID ORTEGA BAGLIETTO/SHUTTERSTOCK
Skills normally seen only in the circus ring are shared by whole communities in the Spanish region of Catalonia. The citizens of Tarragona have honed the tradition of castells (literally, ‘castles’) for centuries and, in September, the Festival de Santa Tecla sees teams of castellers compete to build these human high-rises, while spectators watch tensely for any mis-steps. From burly men at the bottom to nimble youngsters at the top, the castell is an all-encompassing test of the motto ‘força, equilibri, valor i seny’ (strength, balance, courage and common sense).
1 The earliest mention of castells in the region comes from 1712 when traditional fiesta dances in the town of Valls near Tarragona finished with the building of small human towers. They only became a more widespread Catalan icon after the 1960s.