jqmj (Queralt) - CC BY-SA
Around the summer solstice, the mountains of Alta Ribagorça, Pallars Sobirà and the Principality of Andorra come alive with light, tradition and a festival atmosphere. These are the Fire Tests of the Pyrenees where young single men carry torches to celebrate the solstice or Sant Joan depending on the beliefs of each one.
As of today, the Fire Tests are now classed as Intangible Heritage as decided by the UNESCO intergovernmental committee which met in Namibia. This was a long-awaited decision for those pushing their candidacy. Under the official name of the Summer Solstice Fire Festivals of the Pyrenees, they include a total of 63 festivals in the Principality, Occitania, Andorra and La Franja.
The cross-border nature (the candidacy had the official backing of three states) and the large involvement of the organisers of the Tests, who have supplied numerous materials and testimonies, have been evaluated in full by the UNESCO representatives.
Large trunks, balls that spin around, torches...these are just a few of the many tests practised in the Western Pyrenees. All of them are spectacular, visually beautiful and now have the same common denominator: their classification as Intangible Heritage.
