A Saint Magí for the history

TarragonaThe Plaça de les Cols experienced one of the most notable human tower festival days in recent years this Sant Magí. On a day marked by heat, with temperatures above 33 degrees and high humidity, the four Tarragona-based teams completed a masterful performance and, above all, without any falls.

The protagonism was shared. Xiquets del Serrallo and Colla Castellera de Sant Pere i Sant Pau achieved the best performances of their history, while Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona recovered the 5d9f and completed the 2d9fm. Xiquets de Tarragona, for their part, maintained their consolidation line and once again completed the 4d9f.

La Jove recovers the 5d9f

The Jove de Tarragona wanted to make its ambition clear from the first round, in which it opted for the 2d9fm. The structure showed some movement during the descent, especially at the top, but the lilas managed to keep it under control until the end. The first extra gamma of the day was already in the bag. The big challenge, however, was the 5d9f. The first attempt did not succeed and the group opted to dismantle it. In the third round, the lilas returned with a much better-tied construction. The castle climbed firmly, with good dimensions and without losing structure, and the Jove was able to complete it. The 5d9f thus returned to the group's repertoire. It had been since 2019 that the Jove had not attempted this castle at this event, and its recovery represents an important step in the Tarragona team's season. The Cós del Bou team closed the performance with a 3d9f, after a dismantled base, and a pillar of 6, the only pillar of merit of the day.

The Xiquets de Tarragona once again unload the 4d9f

The Xiquets de Tarragona approached Sant Magí with a clear idea: to continue regaining confidence with the nine-story castles. The matalassera group opened with a 7d8, a structure that is offering good results this season and which served to start the day with security. In the second round came the third 4d9f of the year. The castle did not have a particularly brilliant execution, but the Xiquets were able to complete it and thus added a new performance with a nine-story castle. The group wanted to go one step further with the 3d9f, but the attempt did not manage to consolidate. When the structure began to take shape, the matalassers decided to dismantle it before the situation escalated. The 3d8 served to close the performance. The execution was more worked than usual for this castle and hinted at the difficulties that had appeared shortly before with the 3d9f.

El Serrallo makes history with its first "clàssica de vuit"

Els Xiquets del Serrallo have starred in one of the day's great performances and have written a new page in the history of the group. Those from the maritime neighborhood went out without holding back and opened the square with the 4d8. It was no ordinary castle. The Serrallo castellers had not unloaded the "carro gros" in Plaça de les Cols for three decades. The last precedent was from 1996, when they left it "carregat". This time, however, the structure reached the end. The 4d8 had a slow execution and with some movement, but the group managed to control the construction at all times. The unloading was especially significant for a group that is experiencing the best season in its history. The 3d8 of the second round confirmed the good feelings. If last year this castle had been left "carregat" precisely for Sant Magí, this time the Serrallo castellers showed it much more dominated. The speed of the children contributed to giving stability to the structure. Only the 2d7 was missing to complete the first "clàssica de vuit" in the history of Xiquets del Serrallo. The castle rose with solvency and a small slip by the "enxaneta" at the moment of entering added tension to the final moments, but it did not prevent the unloading.

Sant Pere i Sant Pau looks upwards

It has also been a day to remember for the Colla Castellera de Sant Pere i Sant Pau. The Tarragona team has completed the three most demanding eight-story castles in their repertoire and has achieved the best performance in their history. The 5d8 was the first major challenge. The decision was correct: the castle gained stability as it progressed and was finally unloaded with great solvency. In the second round came the 4d8a, a castle that the group had debuted just a few days earlier. The structure once again showed a high level of execution, especially in the management of the pillar, and confirmed that Sant Pere i Sant Pau has this castle fully incorporated into its repertoire. The 3d8 put the finishing touch to a perfect performance. With the unloading of this castle, the group completed its best performance and left an unequivocal feeling: the next goal is to go up a floor.

The negative point: the heat

The heat has been the other great protagonist of the day. With more than 33 degrees and humidity above 60%, conditions have been especially tough for castellers and the public. Some of the attendees could not hold out until the end of the performance, which once again brings to the table the debate about whether a diada of this magnitude needs a different schedule. Despite this, the heat has not prevented the Cols from experiencing a Sant Magí that is already inscribed among the greats of Tarragona's casteller history.