Barcelona is a city that, although its nature is being cosmopolitan, still preserves the cultural heritage in which the major part of the locals participate. For this reason, the festivities of the different neighbourhoods congregate all the city and the surroundings and present traditional performances like the sardanas and the castellers.
The giants are figures of big dimensions that embody nobles or traditional Catalan characters. They are an essential element in the popular festivities around Catalonia that often represent the ancient benefactors of the locality. The disproportional height is their main characteristic.
The first reference we have of the giants is from 1424, when a Goliath participated in a Corpus procession. It is also known that the giants lived a period of decadence, arriving to disappear. Fortunately, the tradition came back to stay in 1601.
Now, the city of Barcelona counts with a pair of giants: Jaume and Violant. They were created in 1992 and their current robes were made in 2006. These two statues represent two important Catalan monarchs.
The traditional music always accompanies these giants. Furthermore, they have an own dance composed in three parts. During the first part Jaume and Violant meet and greet, during the second one they flirt and in the last one they celebrate their love.
This month you will be able to see the Giants of Barcelona in action in La Mercè festivity, celebrated between the 22nd and the 25th of September. This tradition will mark the beginning and the end of the festival, among other performances. When they do not go out, they are exposed in the Palace of la Virreina.
If you want to know more about Catalan culture, Barcelona City Tour invites you to visit the city aboard its tourist bus with which you will discover the most emblematic places of Barcelona at the same time that you learn about its history and traditions. In addition, the Palace of la Virreina is located less than 10 minutes walking distance from our stop Plaça Catalunya, available from both of our routes: West Route and East Route.
