Tarragonian Networks

About the image:

Community Living (This image is available from June 1st.)

I was in Tarragona, Catalonia, for Monocle magazine to photograph the Concours de Castells competition. In an old bullfighting arena, different teams gather to compete in building human towers, known as Castells. This tradition has existed in Catalonia for over 200 years. Today, some groups stack up to ten levels of people, reaching heights of up to twelve meters. I took this picture from the stands of the arena. It shows a Castell in the process of being built. First, the base, called the Pinya, is formed, consisting of up to a hundred people. From this base rises the trunk, the tronc, where five people form each level. At the very top, the tower ends with the dome, the Pom de Dalt, which is usually formed by a very light child of primary school age. The base is established after about five minutes, and the construction of the tower then proceeds very quickly, within one to two minutes. I was utterly fascinated by how harmoniously and efficiently all these people worked together to create something beautiful with their bodies. Interestingly, dismantling the tower is just as important as building it, as it also counts toward the competition score. It requires special focus because as the participants’ strength fades and everyone is already celebrating the successful build. But it’s not over yet.