 |
| The Aliga (eagle) and the Gegants de la Ciutat |
One of the reasons we wanted to come to Barcelona during September was to make sure we had a chance to see La Mercè. La Mercè is the festa major of the city of Barcelona -- a traditional festival honoring the the Virgin of La Mercè for saving the city from a plague of locusts back in the 1600's. The holiday is on the 24th of September, but the festival lasts the entire weekend leading up to it.
 |
| What's more fun than a plague of locusts? Giants! |
The whole city becomes a big concert/art/parade/performance/fireworks venue, and there are stages and events set up all throughout various districts of the city. The main events take place in the heart of the old city in the Plaça de Sant Jaume, which is very near our apartment. Every day of the festival, there was something going on in this square.
 |
| Traditional dancing |
Probably the most iconic representations of La Mercè are the giants (or gegants as they are called in Catalan).
 |
| The Gegants del Pi, the Gegants de Santa Maria del Mar, and me |
The giants are made of papier mache and are held up by a person inside who marches and dances in the many parades that happen during the festival.
 |
| We had a front-row seat from the balcony of our apartment |
They all have names and histories, and they run the gamut from kings and queens to simple peasants.
 |
| They remind me a little of "King Friday" puppets from Mr. Rogers... |
Not all giants are traditional, either -- here's one of the more "interesting" ones we saw from our apartment.
 |
| Va-va-va-voom! |
No comments:
Post a Comment