IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Falles (Valencian) / Fallas (Spanish) - pronounced, "FI-es" / "FI-as" - is a traditional celebration held each year in March in commemoration of Saint Joseph in Valencia. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration.

Each neighborhood of the city has an organized group of people, the casal faller, that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the famous dish, paella, a specialty of the region. Each casal faller produces a construction known as a falles.

On the final night of Falles, around midnight on March 19, all of the falles are burnt as huge bonfires. This is known as La Cremà (the Burning), the climax of the whole event, and the reason why the constructions are called falles ("torches").

(Edited from Wikipedia. For much more background, see the Fallas 2015 link at the right and subsequent years for both general and specific topics and images.) 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The Falla Municipal

The biggest Falla, the "Falla Municipal" stands on Plaza de Ayuntamiento, the City Hall plaza located in the center of the city. 

An early glimpse and partial mystery of what is to come.

This year’s, 27 meters / 88.5 feet high, focus is a statue of Charlie Chaplin...with a message of hope, calling on the world to peace.

The Charlie statue is a reference to his 1918 satirical film “Shoulder Arms” and reminds us that even in times of conflict, hope, life and peace are possible. 

His work, often balancing between sadness and humor, reminded us of the resilience of the human spirit and that after darkness there always comes light.

On Charlie’s hand, we see a beautiful butterfly; in Chaplin’s image, the butterfly symbolizes hope for a better tomorrow, rebirth, and the need to discover new possibilities.

At the very bottom of the statue is the inscription “HOPE.” In his speeches, Charlie Chaplin always expressed his deep hope for a world without wars, in which people solve problems in peace.

The statue of Charlie was designed by José Santaulalia, his brother Alejandro Santaulalia, and Vicente Llácer."

(From tumbler)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

 

La Mascletà

"The mascletà is an essential part of Fallas, representing a, noisy, and dramatic celebration of local culture. It is a high-intensity, daytime fireworks display held daily at 2:00 PM from March 1–19 in Valencia's Plaza del Ayuntamiento during the Fallas festival. 

Focused on rhythm, sound, and vibration rather than visuals, it uses hundreds of loud firecrackers—masclets—to create a deafening, rhythmic performance designed to shake spectators."

The sound from the mascletà can reach 120 decibels. 

Daily preparations for the mascletà. On the ground are the 

start of the hundreds of fireworks being readied for the afternooon explosion. 

The view from my balcony a block away at the conclusion of the mascleta.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The Fallas (1)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

One afternoon outside the front door to my building: 

buskers entertain the crowds with gymnastics.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Falleras

Falleras -  the women - wear ornate dresses and intricate hairstyles that reflect centuries-old Valencian craftsmanship. The falleros - the men - wear copies of traditional outfits.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The Fallas (2)

 

Personal resonance: Reading and architecture...

The caption from the (blanked-out) placard: The Fallas creators who get 

"burned" by the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business 

(the tax department) get tired of paying so many taxes. As a result, 

they escape quickly to Andorra (still somewhat of a tax haven...).

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Cremà de la falla municipal

19 March - 11:00 P.M./23:00

"La Cremà (Valencian for "the burning") is the final, dramatic act of Valencia's annual Las Fallas festival, occurring on the night of March 19th. Hundreds of artistic, satirical monuments made of wood and paper-mâché are set on fire, symbolizing renewal, rebirth, and the end of the festival's annual cycle."

The crowds, a city block away from the Municipal Falla, await 

the dramatic moment of its destruction.

Below, images from La 2 (Channel 2),

RTVE: Radio Televisión Española.

In theory, this is the final ceremony of the burning of all the fallas. In truth, 

with firefighters in attendance, the several hundred falles around 

the city are carefully set aflame into the early hours of the morning.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Copyright © 2015-2026 Benjamin Clavan