The skyscrapers in Barcelona made of flesh and blood: CASTELLERS

Castellers de Barcelona was founded in 1969 as a competition to the age old traditional castellers of Tarragona. First let there be a little introduction about castellers. Castellers was a tradition in Catalonia. There are three parts in a human tower the root, the truck and the crown. The root is the base of the tower is horizontal and supports the entire structure. The trunk of the tower formulates the design of the entire structure. The crown is the final brick in the caste and is built with light and flexible persons.

Well one thing is for sure; when you are visiting Barcelona, the performance of the castellers cannot be missed. Barcelona hosts a number of national festivals and each has a segment for the performance of the castellers. Festa Major de Garcia is one such festival. It is kind of a weeklong carnival taking place on the streets. The last human tower reached a record height of 10 peoples that is highest in the world. One thing that stands out amidst the bright decorations of the streets and the live music of the festival is the Castellers de Barcelona. In bright red t-shirts and glimmering white and silver pants, they take away the attraction of the people and unleash their skills to amaze the visitors.

The functioning of the castle is most delightful to watch. As the castle takes different formations, the background music helps in identifying the formations. The performances of Castellers de Barcelona have rejuvenated the tradition of castle building in the country of Spain. They ensured that the people can recall their history and live in them with their performances. Moreover continuous introduction of new tricks by Castellers de Barcelona has also helped in engaging the viewers with the tradition of building human towers.

The performances are generally held on Sundays so that maximum number of crowd can enjoy them. The performances are held in the town attraction places like Town Hall Square and City Centers. The season of castle building starts from June and ends in the mid of November as winter creeps in. Also there are many types of castles that can be viewed as the number of castellers clubs has grown in the country. Castellers de Barcelona has created a new platform for Spain to attract local and international visitors to the country. So, if you are planning for your summer vacation, now have another alternative to choose from.

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The History Of Jews In Barcelona

Barcelona is known for its architecture, art, food and beautiful climate. However, there was a time when the second largest city of Spain and the largest city of Catalonia, was the hub of Jewish luminaries. Around the 13th century Jewish philosophers, poets and thinkers flourished. They were the foundation for the rich Jewish culture and heritage in the time to come. Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Abraham Ibn Ezra and Judah Halevi are only some of the notable characters during that period. Their works are entwined with the current Jewish philosophy and biblical writings.

During 1263, Barcelona was the centre of a great dispute between Nachmanides and Pablo Christiani. Pablo Christiani was a apostate who has working rigorously to convert Jews to Christianity. Nachmanides had a rich history in Barcelona and was the leading rabbi in Catalonia. Even though, the King, James I of Aragon, declared Nachmanides the winner of the debate, the negative Christian reaction made Nachmanides leave Catalonian for Jerusalem.

However the presence of Jews in Barcelona is not yet lost. Montjuïc, which means – ‘mountain of the Jews” in Catalan, is a site that expresses the rich history and continuance of Jews in the city. It was the site for 1992 Olympics and is also home to National Museum of Art and Catalonia. It is said that in the middle ages, this site used to be site of Jewish cemetery, after which the mountain was named.

In recent times, many tombstones were discovered, which are stored in the Provincial Archeological Museums. During the great crusades, the condition of the Jews worsened, when many were forced to convert to Christianity. Christopher Columbus, who set sail for Americas on August 3, 1492, was also among those Spaniards whose ancestors were forced to convert. The year 1492 is significant for other reasons than Columbus”s journey. It was the year when 200,000 Jews were evicted from Spain. Their void remained for centuries till the mid-19th century when some Jews started coming back. Today Barcelona is home to some 4,000 Jews. They are part of various synagogues including, Comunidad, Chabad, Israelita de Barcelona and Comunitat Jueva Atid de Catalunya.

In the heart of Barcelona”s Gothic area resides the Call. It is an ancient Jewish community. The main street of the community known as Carrer de Saint Domenec, is the place where kosher butchers worked. It is also the location of the great historic synagogue of Spain, which is said to have been present even in Roman times, Sinagoga Mayor de Barcelona.

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