Castells
From Guide to Girona
Castells terms[edit]
🧍♂️ People and Structure[edit]
- Pinya
- The base of the human tower, made up of many people who support the weight and catch the castellers if they fall.
- Tronc
- The main vertical body of the tower, made up of multiple levels.
- Folre
- A second-level base placed on top of the pinya for additional support in taller towers.
- Manilles
- A third-level base used in very high or complex castells.
- Baixos
- The people at the very bottom of the tower, directly supporting the tronc.
- Contraforts
- Supporters at the outer edges of the pinya, helping with stability.
- Anxaneta
- The small child who climbs to the very top and raises a hand to signal completion.
- Dosos
- The two castellers just below the anxaneta, forming the second-highest level.
- Agulla
- A “needle” — a vertical pilar structure placed inside a larger castell.
🏗️ Types of Towers[edit]
- 3 de 7
- A tower 7 levels high with 3 people per level.
- 4 de 8
- A tower 8 levels high with 4 people per level.
- Torre
- A narrow tower with 2 people per level (e.g. torre de 7).
- Pilar
- A very narrow tower made up of just one person per level (e.g. pilar de 5).
- Amb l’agulla
- “With the needle” — indicates an internal pilar is part of the structure.
🏁 Outcomes[edit]
- Descarregat
- The tower was completed and safely taken down.
- Carregat
- The tower was completed but collapsed during the descent.
- Intent
- An attempt that failed before the top was reached.
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