The Espigolats, the casteller soul of La Riera

Riera de GaiàWhen the Festa Major of Riera de Gaià arrives, the colors of the shirts take a back seat. Castellers de la Joves de Valls, la Vella, els Xiquets de Tarragona, els Xiquets del Serrallo, els Nois de la Torre, els Castellers d'Altafulla or other groups from the region take off their usual identity for a day. They put on a checkered shirt, tie their sashes, and form a pinecone under a single name: els Espigolats de la Riera.

It is an unusual image in today's casteller world, but one that actually connects with its origins. Before the groups existed as we know them today, castells were built thanks to the involvement of the villagers, who helped the Valls groups when they came to perform. In Riera, this tradition has a special meaning. As early as the 19th century, there is evidence that the Valls groups raised nine-story castells with the support of local fans.

More than a century later, that way of experiencing castells has found a new expression.

A town with dozens of castellers

La Riera de Gaià does not have its own casteller group, but it does have a large community of castellers. Many of the residents are part of various groups from Camp de Tarragona and Baix Gaià. They meet at rehearsals, share squares throughout the season, and, above all, share a town.

From this reality, a question as simple as it is inevitable was born: if there are so many castellers, why can't La Riera build its own towers?

The answer was the Espigolats. The project began to take shape in March 2020, but the pandemic postponed its premiere. It wouldn't be until 2022 that the initiative would materialize for the first time, quickly becoming a tradition of the Festa Major.

A performance prepared with rigor

Although they only perform once a year, the Espigolats do not improvise. In the weeks prior, they organize several rehearsals to prepare for a day that, year after year, gains in level.

This year they have done seven. The result has been a performance with the 2d6 as the most outstanding construction, in addition to the pillar of 5, the 5d6, the clean 4d6, the 3d6a, and the 4d6a.

The clean 4d6 is probably the best demonstration of the group's potential. The technical quality of its members would allow them to have lifted it with a pinya too, but they preferred to maintain the participatory spirit so that everyone could be part of the day. Nevertheless, there are already those who look to the future and do not rule out trying a seven-story castle in future editions.

First-class experience

One of the particularities of Espigolats is the level of its members. Among the participants are group leaders, presidents, and former heads of some of the main groups in the region.

This experience facilitates the organization of rehearsals, the preparation of the castles, and the coordination of a group made up of people accustomed to working in very different realities. But, when the day of the performance arrives, all these positions disappear. For a few hours, only one group exists: that of the town.

The children also reflect this diversity. Boys and girls participate who usually perform with different groups and who only need some specific reinforcement from outside the municipality to complete the top rows.

Recovering the most popular castles

The Espigolats are no exception. They are part of a movement that can also be seen in municipalities such as Llorenç del Penedès, Ribes, Masarbonès, el Pla de Santa Maria or Albinyana, where enthusiasts gather once a year to build human towers without the structure of a conventional group.

In all cases, the objective is the same: to recover a way of building human towers based on popular participation, coexistence and a sense of belonging to the town.

That's why there is no official shirt either. Most wear checkered shirts, evoking the old human tower builders who came directly from the fields to go to the square. It is a detail laden with symbolism that reinforces the message of the initiative.

In an era when human towers are becoming increasingly technical and specialized, the Espigolats remind us that the essence of this heritage remains the same as 200 years ago: a group of people who decide to join forces to build a human tower. Regardless of the group they come from, but rather the town they represent.