Photos from Catalonia : festival de la Mercé

La Mercè is the annual festival of Barcelona, originally to celebrate the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, La Mare de Déu de la Mercè in Catalan, on September 24.

Ball dels Gegants

"Ball dels Gegants", the Dance of the Giants (plaza St Jaume)

Below are a series of photos of Castels (catalan for castles), a tradition of Catalonia,
taken during the Mercé festival 2008 on Plaza St Jaume.
Different districts (bario) such as Gracia, Sacrada Familia, Sants, Poble Sec perform in turn.

pillar castellers gracia

Pillar by the Castellers de Gracia

pillar casteller barcelona

Pillar by the Castellers de Barcelona

torre de la Sacrada Familia

Castellers de la Sacrada Familia, with the "enxaneta" (the last one) raising his hand,
fingers apart, said to symbolize the stripes of the Catalan flag

Castellers de Poble Sec

Castellers de Poble Sec
this "torre" (tower) has 3 persons per layer

merce 2008 barcelona casteller

Castellers de Barcelona
Castellers have the motto: "Strength, balance, courage and reason".

torre de gracia la merce

Castellers de Gracia, with the "enxaneta" almost at the top

castellers

castellers la mercé

castellers barcelona

castellers catalonia

Sequence of building
a human tower,
here with the
Castellers de Sants.

Note that these photos
don't show the base level,
hidden by the crowd.

torre de castellers de sants

Below are the fireworks at Plaze de Espanya during the Mercé festival
(F2.8 / 1/8sec / 200 ISO)

firework la merce 2008

-1-

feu d'artifices barcelone

-2-

fireworks

-3-

feuerwerk

-4-

feu d'artifice

-5-

fuegos artificiales

-6-

fireworks barcelona

-7-

fireworks la mercé

-8-

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Photos from Spain

Photos from Catalonia

© Denis LeGourriérec
No material may be used
without my agreement