Alta Ribagorça torchlight descent

The torchlight descent season in Alta Ribagorça County attracts many visitors every year, coming from all around to attend a festival originating in the summer solstice cult of thanking the gods for successful harvests and the arrival of the good weather.

The festival takes place in several villages. Young men light torches (resinous tree trunks about two metres long) in a place up the mountains from where they can be seen from the village. At nightfall, they carry the torches down to the village square, where they are greeted with music and church bells. The half-burnt torches are thrown onto a bonfire as the village people perform traditional folk dances.

Dates:

  • 1st half of June: Durro and Senet
  • 23th of June: Boí, Casós, el Pont de Suert and Vilaller
  • 2nd half of June: Barruera
  • 1st half of July: Erill la Vall and Taüll
  • 2nd half of July: Llesp
Information
June and July
Alta Ribagorça