Casteliers - Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia, Spain

The tradition of building human towers probably dates from the Middle Ages. It persists in Catalonia, where it gives rise to large festive gatherings. These “Castells”, meaning "castles", consist of a compact core of participants, on which teams of four men, the "Casteliers" climb to form towers between four and nine storey high. Then, a child begins the ascent to the summit of the Castell.