La Mercè is the annual festival of the city of Barcelona, an official holiday since 1871. The tradition of building human towers, called ‘castells’ originated in Valls, near the city of Tarragona, towards the end of the 18th century.
La Cavalcada de Gegants de la Mercè – the ‘Parade of Giants’ is one of the main events of the festival.
The Sardana is a type of circle dance, originally from the Empordà region, that became popular throughout Catalonia during the 20th century.
