The bonfire festival in Isil, Pallars Sobirà, is notable as the only place in the Pyrenees where the technique of rolling bonfires is practiced. This ancient tradition is combined with the classic descent of the lit bonfire carried on the shoulder. The celebration, taking place this Tuesday, maintains a historical limit of sixty 'fallaires' (bonfire bearers), of whom about fifty descend with lit bonfires and a dozen execute the rolling technique.
The rolling technique involves throwing the lit log down a channel where it spins on its axis, traveling fifteen to twenty meters before being recovered. From the village, spectators can observe the line of fire advancing with the 'fallaires' and the sparks generated by this unique practice. Isil's bonfires are among the few that have never ceased to be celebrated in the Pyrenees, not even during the Civil War or the Covid pandemic.
“"The tradition of rolling bonfires dates back to time immemorial. The elders say that in ancient times, when they went to make bonfires, they made about sixty, and if there were any left over on the festival day, tradition dictated they couldn't be left unburnt in the mountains, so the extras were brought to the village by rolling them together."
This practice, which historically served to utilize surplus bonfires, has transformed into an "unparalleled visual spectacle," according to Cavi Ros of the Isil bonfire association. Currently, about ten bonfires are prepared specifically for rolling, making it a distinctive element not replicated in any other Pyrenean village.
The bonfire descent is not a simple task and is reserved for experienced individuals, as it takes place down the mountainside without a marked path. The bonfires, weighing between 20 and 40 kilograms, sometimes exceed these figures. The 'fallaires' descend about 60 bonfires from the Faro, forming an "impressive serpent of fire." After approximately an hour's descent, participants reach the village and throw the bonfires into the main bonfire, presided over by the largest one.
