Vilafranca's calendar of festivity
reaches its peak on the 29th August at
noon, when the Town Festivity begins.
This feast has been declared of national
interest, due the preservation of its
folklore and its cultural richness.
During these three days the streets are
full of people, who follow the evolution
of dances and who express their emotion
on St. Fèlix's day. They also love the
show of music and fire that points out
the entry of the Saint into Santa
Maria's church. Dances on the streets,
theatre and concerts complete a
festivity where the people are the main
characters.
SHORT GUIDE OF THE “TOWN FESTIVITY”
1.- Introduction
Throughout the 22nd and 23rd August,
LA CAPTA. The “Festivity” administrators
(five different people each year are
responsible for the organisation) walk
around the town selling the program
cards, bearing Saint Felix’s image and
some presents. The objective is to raise
some money for the “Festivity”. They are
accompanied by the “Grallers”, people
who play the “gralla”, a high-pitch wind
instrument used in many acts of the
“Festivity” in combination with the
drums.
On the 22nd August takes place a NOVENA
offered to St. Felix. This is a
religious and solemn act, which finishes
with the “GOIGS” singing. They are sung
by a group of people from Vilafranca and
each year more and more people gather in
the church to listen to them. The act
takes place every day at 20:30 hours
until St. Felix’s day.
Quite a recent event (it was celebrated
for the first time in 1963) takes place
on the 28th August. This is the OPENING
SPEECH of the town festivity, which
gathers the whole town in St. Jaume I
square after the end of the novena. The
people gathered love to hear all the
activities announced by the person who
inaugurates the festivities.
2.- The three core days of the
Festivity
29th August.
BELL RINGING AND FIRECRACKERS. Everybody
is nervous. Everybody wants to hear the
start of the Festivity and it is a magic
and emotional moment, which indicates
that the festivity has started one more
time.
PASSACAGLIA. Primarily a display of more
than twenty folkloric groups (popular
dances, human towers, music band, etc.)
who all walk in a procession, showing
their still immaculate clothes to the
audience and indicating the start of the
festivity.
It is difficult to state a specific hour
for the end of the passacaglia, but it
can be said that it finishes in the Vila
square (Council square) where the first
human tower is built. This first tower
display is known as “Castells, torres i
pilars”.
ST. FELIX’S PROCESSION. The spectators
and the groups accompany the Saint from
the Administrator’s house to St. Maria’s
basilica. The itinerary is different
each year and for this reason, it is
unknown until it is published in the
official program. Once the Town
Festivity finishes, the Administrators
take turns at keeping St. Felix’s image
in their houses, until they return it to
the basilica the following year.
After dinner, at 23.00 hours, an
extraordinary FIREWORKS display takes
place at Campo del Cellerot, which
captivates natives and visitors alike.
Night shows follow the fireworks, there
are around six shows which take place
simultaneously and it is necessary to
hurry in order to find a seat (if there
are seats, of course). Normally there is
a formal concert by the Music Band,
theatre shows, sardanas (typical Catalan
dance), recitals, festivals…and lately
the “EMPALMADA”, a good excuse for those
who don’t feel like going to sleep:
dance and an official party until next
morning.
30th August. Saint Felix
At seven in the morning, the bell
ringing announces the festivity and St.
Felix’s relics are on display in order
for the faithful to venerate them.
Simultaneously the “grallers” gather at
the Vila Square and they start playing
the “MATINADES”. Many groups and
spectators accompany them, with the
purpose of waking everyone up. Some
associations, shops and citizens offer
food and drinks to the people who walk,
to ensure that they end up having a
proper breakfast.
After breakfast around 9:30 in the
morning, sees the arrival of the INVITED
GROUPS OF HUMAN TOWERS, dances, “grallers”,
“falcons”, “castellers” and the musical
groups, who accompany the Administrators
from the Town hall to the Basilica of
Santa Maria. Where they celebrate the
SOLEMN MASS, in honour of St. Felix and
witness the offering of all the groups.
After the solemn mass in the Basilica,
the “human towers” erect their columns
in front of the “Castellers monument”.
Afterwards, the Administrators,
accompanied by the above-mentioned train
of followers, head towards the council
where they will preside over a short
folkloric display of dances with the
Town Authorities. The most important act
of the day takes place after the dances
display: THE DISPLAY OF HUMAN TOWERS
organised by the best groups in the
world in this field. Together, they make
a huge effort to show that the
expression “Vilafranca, la Plaça més
Castellera” (Vilafranca, the best square
for human towers), which is shown in one
of the tiles of the square porch,
remains true.
After a deliciously rich meal, the
afternoon starts with a BAND CONCERT.
After that, the TRADITIONAL PROCESSION
OF ST. FELIX, formed by the usual
procession, the Council authorities and
many ex-administrators, as well as other
citizens who want to accompany the image
of the Saint, go out of St.Maria’s
Basilica. The procession finishes in the
Basilica, where ST. FELIX ENTRANCE takes
place. It is a very deep and intense
moment. The simultaneous firework
display, the evolution of the dances and
the mix of “grallas” and music band
sounds constitute a unique show.
After dinner, one must choose from a
wide range of activities.
31st August.
Like the day before, the morning starts
with the “MATINADES” which are only
followed by those who still have some
energy left.
At 9:30 takes place the act of
accompanying the Administrators to the
Basilica where the SOLEMN MASS is
celebrated to commemorate the deceased
of Vilafranca. Once the mass finishes,
everyone goes to the Vila Square. There
a FOLKLORIC EXHIBITION takes place. The
31st August is without any doubts the
day of the dances. Many different kinds
of dances are shown on top of a stage
located in the centre of the Vila Square.
Even though the dances are repeated
every year, the evolution of the
different dances is one of the most
massively attended acts of the Festivity.
After that, the LOCAL HUMAN TOWER GROUPS
make their last exhibition. When the act
finishes, all the “grallers” (around 50)
gather to play the “TOC DE VERMUT”,
which they repeat until the end of the
avenue. Meanwhile the people, hand on
shoulder, are accompanied by the music
and dance along to the melody.
In the evening, the last PROCESSION
departs from St. Maria and, as we have
already mentioned, from there it goes
inside one of the Administrator’s houses.
From here the FIREWORKS will take place,
accompanying the dances are the “human
towers” and the music band.
At night the only dilemma is the same
before: choosing among the different
options –theatre, concerts, music,
dances, etc.- offered in the Vila.
3.- Epilogue.
1st and 2nd September are the
most relaxed days of the Festivity. The
folkloric groups do not perform, but
there are many shows and acts all around
the Vila.
One of the most outstanding shows is the
CORREFOC on 1st September. It is a
wonderful display of fire and dance,
which takes place in the most central
streets of Vilafranca. The main
characters are “The Devils and Ex devils
of Vilafranca”.
Above all the 2nd September is a day
devoted to the children and for that
reason the “FESTIVITY OF THE CHILDREN”
takes place. There the children who do
not belong to any of the groups of the
Town Festivity gather to imitate the
adult groups - and they cooperate in the
passacaglia and in the Vila Square
celebrations.
It is a small imitation of the “adult
Town Festivity” which satisfies young
and old, as they proudly watch their
children parading the streets.
A spectacular FIREWORKS SHOW during the
break of the CLOSING DANCE marks the end
of the “most typical festivity of
Catalonia”. |
