Senet

The Senet falles have been celebrated uninterruptedly, and are now celebrated the weekend before Saint John’s Eve. The torches are made a few weeks in advance, as in all villages. They are made from four pieces of wood of unequal length that are nailed to the end of a hazelwood handle and bound with wire. The beacon is located about fifteen minutes’ walk from the village (1,390 m.), on the track that leads to Gelada.
The bark and branches are removed from a ten-meter-long fir called the biga and a crown made with green branches from the same pine is perched on top. Formerly in the village square, the pole is now erected a few weeks earlier on an esplanade on the outskirts of the village. After dinner in the village with family or friends, the fallaires climb up to the beacon, where they prepare the bonfires that will be used to light the falles.

As in the other villages, the festivities begin with the children’s falles. Afterwards, the fallaires–all carrying a falla and wearing a special T-shirt–light their falles and go down to the village along the forest track. When they arrive in Senet, they process around the village to the ringing of church bells. Then they circle the biga, and whirl the falles in circles before creating a bonfire around the foot of the biga. The biga is not allowed to burn down completely, and stays upright throughout the year until it is replaced by the new one. The festivities continue with coca pastries and conclude with a dance.

Organized by : Comité des fêtes
More information : http://www.turismealtaribagorca.cat/ca/agenda/baixada-de-falles-senet
www.ajuntamentdevilaller.cat
Email : pturisme@ccar.ddl.net
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/550227293/Mairie%20%20-de-vilaller/
Village Council : +34 973 69 81 59

To find out more
Riart, O. i Jordà S. (2012). “Catalogació de les falles al Pirineu. Descripció dels processos i elements fallaires”, Revista d’Etnologia de Catalogne, nº38, 162-173.
Riart, O. i Jordà, S. (2016). Les falles del Pirineu. L’Alta Ribagorça i el Pallars Sobirà. Lérida : éditions Pagès.
Ricart, S. i Farré, X. (2012). Foc al faro, la festa de les falles al Pirineu. Taül l : AlpinArt.

Photos and videos

Vilaller and Senet falles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZisoWlozWE&ab_channel=Vilaller%28ValldeBarrav%C3%A9s%29

Torchlight descent 2020
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=187995435987271