Castells: Towers Made of People
How the Catalan human towers work, what "3de8" means and where to see them in Barcelona.
A square full of people, silence, just the gralles – shrill wooden wind instruments – playing a tune. In the middle a tower of bodies grows, level by level, until a child stands at the very top and briefly raises a hand. Then the square erupts. These are the castells, Catalonia’s human towers.
A tradition from Valls
Castells began at the end of the 18th century in Valls near Tarragona and spread from there across Catalonia. Since 2010 they have been on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Their motto sums up the spirit: força, equilibri, valor i seny – strength, balance, courage and good sense.
How a castell is built
- Pinya: the wide base of dozens, sometimes hundreds of people, locked together. It carries the weight and catches anyone who falls.
- Tronc: the actual “trunk” of the tower, level by level.
- Pom de dalt: the top levels, formed by children. At the very top the enxaneta climbs up and raises a hand – the aleta.
A castell counts as carregat once the enxaneta reaches the top, and descarregat when it has also been taken down cleanly. Only then is it truly done.
What does “3de8” mean?
The names are a kind of formula: the first number is how many people stand on each level, the second how many levels there are. A 3de8 has three people per level and eight levels. A pilar has just one person per level – especially hard.
Where to see castells in Barcelona
- Plaça de Sant Jaume during La Mercè at the end of September – the classic spot, with several groups in turn.
- At the neighbourhood festes majors, for example in Gràcia or Sants.
- For really big towers: every two years in autumn, Tarragona hosts the great castells competition.
The groups – the colles – train all year. Many hold open rehearsals where visitors are welcome.
Photography tips
- Arrive early to get a spot with a view. A slightly raised position – steps, a wall – helps enormously.
- The decisive moment is the aleta. It lasts seconds, so focus and frame beforehand.
- A short telephoto (85–135 mm) brings the faces at the top closer; a wide angle shows the pinya and the crowd.
- On film: ISO 400 in daylight and 1/500 s to freeze the movement.
And now and then, lower the camera: when the tower stands and the whole square holds its breath, it’s a moment worth living without a viewfinder.