As part of the centenary of the architect's death, the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls and the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls will participate in a special event. They will raise the castells during the international mass scheduled for 8 PM inside the basilica.
The event will include a prior institutional ceremony in front of the Nativity Façade, with the participation of the mayor of Valls, Dolors Farré. There will also be a tribute by theologian Armand Puig and art historian Maria Garganté.
Following the castell performance and the mass, both groups will lay a floral offering at the crypt where Antoni Gaudí is buried, and will raise two pilars de cinc.
Mayor Dolors Farré highlighted the connection between Gaudí and his work with Valls, through figures like the baroque sculptor Lluís Bonifàs and architect Cèsar Martinell. Gaudí declared himself a disciple of Bonifàs, and Martinell, a direct disciple of Gaudí, documented the relationship between the towers of the Sagrada Familia and human towers.
In his 1951 book, Martinell recorded conversations where Gaudí compared the saint figures in the temple to the construction of castells, emphasizing the architect's admiration for the collective work of the Xiquets de Valls.
Attendance at the event is limited, and advance reservations are not permitted as it is part of the regular Saturday international mass. Approximately 250 people per group are expected to participate.
Both the Colla Joves and the Colla Vella have expressed their "pride" in participating in this tribute, which also places Valls and the castell world on the map, recalling previous performances such as the one at the Millenary of Montserrat.
