More than 600 giants from all over Catalonia paraded this Sunday through the streets of the center of Barcelona in the central event of the commemoration of the 600 years of this popular tradition.
The anniversary is linked to the first written reference to a giant in the city and in the world, in the 'Llibre de les Solemnitats de Barcelona', which includes a list of the municipal elements that attended the Corpus Christi procession of 1424, among them "Lo king David ab lo Giguant". According to scholars, this is the first allusion to the figure of a giant in the world, and the first reference to a municipal giant, that of the City of Barcelona.
The National Giants Meeting this Sunday included 230 groups, from all over Catalonia, who left from four points near the Arc de Triomphe to go in a parade to their final meeting point, on the Paseo de Lluís Companys, where the most of 600 giants have performed a joint final dance. The four parades of the National Meeting of Giants have left from the Ciutadella park, the Born, the Ronda de Sant Pere (at the height of the Plaza de Urquinaona) and the Estación del Norte park.
As part of the celebration of the 600 years of giants in Barcelona, the city will also host several meetings of giants to commemorate the anniversary, and thus during the Mercè Festival, in September, several giants from Europe and the rest of Spain will visit the Catalan capital to take part in an International Meeting of Giants.
In October, there will be an exhibition of centenary and historical giants from Catalonia, some original and others inspired by pieces from more than a century ago that have been recovered in recent years.
The couples of centenary and historical giants from Barcelona will be joined by a large number of giants from all over Catalonia, who by protocol do not usually dance outside their towns, but will make an exception for this extraordinary festival.
On October 18 and 19, the Born CCM and the Palau de la Virreina will host a Congress dedicated to giants with talks, round tables and presentations of papers.
