French Catalonia: The Final Frontier | EUROtoday

It’s the South of France – however not as you recognize it…Less fuss than the Côte d’Azur and extra wild-at-heart than Provence, French Catalonia is a nook of the nation with spectacular surroundings and heritage – but it flies beneath the radar. If you need drama, you will have come to the best place.

People right here type human castles, run with bulls and dance slowly to melancholic tunes in sun-baked squares. It’s red-blooded, fiery, theatrical and full of pleasure. OK, so one of the crucial well-known Catalan traditions – whisper it – could seem paying homage to these notorious hooded and cloaked figures within the Southern USA to the untrained eye. Goal no. You can be mistaken. So, the place is that this little pocket of Spanish-flavored France? And why is it there?

The History of French Catalonia

Northern Catalonia (Catalunya del Nord in Catalan) was a part of Spain till it was handed over to France on the finish of the Franco-Spanish conflict in 1659. Eighty p.c of Catalonia now lies in north japanese Spain (suppose Barcelona, ​​Girona, the Costa Brava), with 10% in France and the ultimate 10% sprinkled round Mallorca, Minorca, Italy and southern Spain.

The French bit is bordered by the mighty Pyrenees and Spain within the south, the rocky Mediterranean headlands and sandy seashores of Côte Vermeille within the east and the tax haven of Andorra within the west.

Tangles of medieval hilltop villages tower above winding valleys that includes rivers and vineyards within the center. All that is within the division of Pyrénées-Orientales (division 66), with Perpignan its vigorous capital.

The Catalan language – spoken by round a 3rd of the French Catalans – was solely acknowledged as a regional language in 2007. All this went a way towards French state recognition of the realm’s cultural identification. It wasn’t at all times so. In the Eighties, playground notices learn: “Be clean, wash your hands, speak French”. But by no means thoughts all that, as a result of the locals clearly do not want any endorsements from Paris. As for roadside indicators, there’s a democratic resolution: cities and villages are introduced in each French and Catalan.

Now for the traditions. First up is La Sanch, pronounced Sank. This medieval customized options individuals in floor-length robes and pointy hoods marching via the historic coronary heart of Perpignan on Good Fridays. It’s stated that the brotherhood of La Sanch (“the blood” in Catalan) was based in 1416 by a Dominican monk in Perpignan.

His followers (‘penitents’) accompanied the condemned to their executions, whereas commemorating the eagerness and demise of Christ. They wore hooded robes to confuse bystanders and so stop lynchings within the streets. To at the present time, crosses, crucifixes and statues are carried on the shoulders of ‘penitents’ within the procession, who march to the sound of solemn tambourines, a small bell and conventional Catalan songs (Goigs). It’s a baroque spectacle watched by crowds of silent bystanders to at the present time.

Similarly spectacular is the Correfoc (‘hearth run’), held on sizzling summer time nights after lastly darkness touches down. This custom sees streets come alive with ‘colles de Diables’, teams of devils in purple and black. These Satans dance, skip and leap across the crowds to the sound of heavy drums and piercing whistles, wielding pitchforks with fireworks spinning on the top of their prongs.

The streets are additionally criss-crossed with fireworks raining down on the devils, filling the air with clouds of smoke and far pleasure. All this harks again to medieval avenue theater generally known as Ball de Diables, the place Good and Evil go head-to-head in a spellbinding approach. Correfoc is an unforgettable spectacle – and little doubt a health-and-safety dwelling hell for native Town halls…

If dancing devils amaze you, then the Bears Festival will astonish you much more. The stunning Vallespir area (probably the most lush and forested space of ​​French Catalonia) is not residence to actual bears, however every February, the model celebrated at this folkloric pageant comes out of hibernation. UNESCO-listed, this pagan, winter-ending ritual sees native males dressed up as bears, coated in grime, chasing villagers.

Once upon a time, younger males would attempt to seize a bear to show their bravery initially of Spring. Now, they participate on this raucous occasion. It’s all a couple of fantasy during which a bear leaves his cave to abduct a lady. At the pageant, villagers hunt the ‘bear’ down and drag him to the city sq., the place he’s shaved. At this level, his human face is revealed, and all’s properly that ends properly.

At the guts of all the pieces Catalan is the snow-capped Mount Canigou. From its 2784m-high summit, you gaze over the valleys of the rivers Tech and Têt and the fertile Roussillon plain. In flip, its peak is seen from all around the area. But it is greater than a landmark – this can be a image of Catalan unity.

On the eve of St Jean (St John) on 23 June, Catalans climb its slopes to mild a bonfire with the Flamme du Canigou, a flame stored burning all yr spherical in Perpignan citadel. The subsequent morning, the flame is carried to cities throughout Catalonia to begin bonfires. You’ll additionally see bunches of therapeutic herbs and flowers offered within the streets. These are picked on the eve of St Jean when they’re stated to be 100 occasions stronger. The earlier yr’s bouquets are historically burned on the bonfire, and new ones are hung above doorways to beat back evil spirits.

The magnificence is that none of those traditions are staged for vacationers – they’re a part of actual life. Take the Catalan circle dances, Sardanes. No Catalan is just too outdated, too left-footed or cool to affix in with the Sardanes, carried out to the melancholic tunes of the Coblas bands, that includes flabiols (a kind of recorder), a contrabaix (a kind of double bass) and tibles (a kind of clarinet).

Summer festas, held beneath red-and-yellow Catalan bunting, additionally typically characteristic spectacular Castells (‘castles’ or human pyramids). Local groups of sturdy adults type the bottom (anyone can be part of as soon as the native workforce has shaped its circle) and lithe kids snake up their legs and arms to clamor six, seven, even ten ‘storeys’ up.

The Enxaneta (croowner) is the smallest and bravest little one on the high; the Castell is taken into account completed when she or he raises their hand on the summit. It’s a mesmerizing mixture of togetherness, belief, willpower and focus, rather more so than the additionally current present of power, which makes watching this feat an emotional affair.

Animal lovers, look away now. Yes, bullfights to the demise nonetheless happen right here. The annual Feria de Céret (summer time truthful) is wildly in style with kids from round France and sees bulls run the streets earlier than being killed within the ring. Some say this can be a protected and historic French artwork type, others see it as ritualized animal torture.

And due to this controversy, now simply flip your gaze to the close by spa city of Amélie-les-Bains, the place pampered donkeys take pleasure in an annual blessing by the bishop exterior the native church, having been paraded across the city by angelic youngsters in conventional gown. This cute customized brings prosperity to all and celebrates the patron saint of donkeys. How candy. Bless the French Catalans…