The Castellers performed at the Montréal Complètement Cirque festival on July 5th, 2025, in Montreal. This event featured a special collaboration between the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, a traditional human tower group from Catalonia, Spain, and the local Castellers de Montreal. Their joint performance highlighted a centuries-old Catalan tradition that involves building intricate human towers, often reaching impressive heights and showcasing strength, balance, and teamwork.
The Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia is a well-established human tower team (colla castellera) based in the Vila de Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona, founded in 1996. This group is part of the broader Catalan tradition of building "castells," human towers that can reach impressive heights and demonstrate teamwork, balance, and strength. The tradition itself dates back to the 18th century and is a symbol of Catalonia’s cultural identity and community spirit.
The Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia quickly became recognized in the casteller community after their first public presentation in 1997, which was supported by several other established casteller groups. Early on, they built basic castles of six and seven stories, progressing to more complex structures such as the "4 de 8" (four people per level, eight stories high), which they successfully completed in 2003. Their best recorded achievements include high-level castles like the "3 de 9 amb folre," "4 de 9 amb folre," and "Pilar de 7 amb folre," with some notable performances attracting large audiences in Barcelona.
Known affectionately as "The Blue Gang" due to their navy-blue shirts, and sometimes referred to as "The Student Gang" because of the youthful composition of many members, the group emphasizes community involvement and cultural promotion. They have actively participated in the prestigious biennial Castle-making contest in Tarragona multiple times, with their highest ranking being 5th place in 2014.
Their history also ties back to earlier human tower traditions in Gràcia from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where immigrant peasants formed a local colla called Xiquets de Gràcia. While that original colla faded, the modern Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia revived and continue to advance this heritage today. Beyond building towers, the group also maintains a team of traditional musicians playing the gralla, a Catalan reed instrument essential to castle-building ceremonies, serving as a cultural learning center for the broader community.
The Montréal Complètement Cirque festival, which ran from July 3 to July 13, 2025, is an annual celebration of circus arts that transforms the city into a vibrant stage for artists from around the world. The festival includes a wide range of outdoor acts such as acrobatics, street performances, juggling, and other circus disciplines. Performances were held throughout the city, with many located in popular neighborhoods like Rue Saint-Denis and the Quartier Latin.
The inclusion of the Castellers brought a unique cultural dimension to the festival, blending traditional Catalan heritage with the dynamic and diverse atmosphere of Montreal’s contemporary circus scene.
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Les Castellers ont présenté leur spectacle au festival Montréal Complètement Cirque le 5 juillet 2025 à Montréal. Cet événement mettait en lumière une collaboration exceptionnelle entre les Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, un groupe catalan traditionnel de tours humaines venu d’Espagne, et les Castellers de Montréal, leur pendant local. Leur prestation conjointe a illustré une tradition catalane séculaire : la construction de tours humaines spectaculaires, symboles de force, d’équilibre et de travail collectif.
Les Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia forment une *colla castellera* bien établie, fondée en 1996 dans le quartier de la Vila de Gràcia à Barcelone. Cette troupe perpétue l’art du « castell », une tour humaine pouvant atteindre plusieurs étages, ancrée dans une tradition catalane remontant au XVIIIe siècle. Ces constructions incarnent l’identité culturelle catalane, l’esprit de communauté et la coopération intergénérationnelle.
Dès leur première apparition publique en 1997, soutenue par d’autres *colles* expérimentées, les Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia se sont fait remarquer dans le monde casteller. Ils ont rapidement maîtrisé des constructions de six et sept étages, avant de réussir des structures plus ambitieuses comme le *4 de 8* (quatre personnes par niveau sur huit niveaux), qu’ils ont accompli en 2003. Parmi leurs plus grands exploits figurent le *3 de 9 amb folre**, le **4 de 9 amb folre* et le **Pilar de 7 amb folre**, présentés devant un public nombreux à Barcelone.
#Castellers #HumanTowers #Catalan
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