Les Falles in Alta Ribagorça

Each year, the "falles" break records for participation and attendance, and more and more tourists are joining this Ribagorza festival with its ancient origins. The fallaires experience an unforgettable experience amidst the ringing of the village bells and the shouts of encouragement that turn this festival into a collective liturgy, always ending with a revelry around the bonfires.

Fire has been a significant element in human daily life since ancient times, almost to this day. This tradition is a survival of the cult of purifying fire. This fire, lit on the mountaintop, is carried down to the village with the falles and carried around the village, to purify the evil spirits from each and every part of the village.

In Alta Ribagorça, there are three types of falles: the rentiners, which are made of a single piece; the palo falles, the most common throughout the region, which are made with pieces of pine shingles and attached to an ash pole with wires and points; and the Vilaller falles, which are a large inverted pyramid tied with wire and filled with torch.

On December 1, 2015, UNESCO announced the inclusion of the Summer Solstice Fire Festival in the Pyrenees as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on this prestigious international list. It should be noted that Alta Ribagorça is the region with the largest number of Fallas villages within Catalonia.

We look forward to seeing you!