Visitors will be flocking to Valencia shortly for this year’s noisy fallas celebrations which, in 2012, will be taking place between Thursday 15th to Monday 19th March. Like every other year, this lively festival will involve the creation of massive wood, cardboard and papier-mâché sculptures that depict popular – and not so popular – personalities and topical events.
The creators of these truly extraordinary models give their imagination free rein during the construction process and, long before the fallas actually begin, the local rumour mill goes into overdrive on the subject of which figures will be pilloried.
These immense characters are paraded around the city before being destroyed during an amazing firework display.
Valencia’s satirists have a long and honourable history of poking fun at the great and the good, and this year is no exception. It is said that this year’s models will include José Mourinho (an old favourite with the falla artists), who is depicted poking his fingers into the eye of Tito Villanova, Barcelona’s assistant coach, while resting his foot on the head of Jorge Valdano, Real Madrid’s sporting director.
Lady Gaga is another famous figure, who will be paraded through the streets of Valencia along with the late Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO. Needless to say, he is displayed holding two iPads.
Those of a nervous disposition would be well advised to give Valencia a wide berth during the fallas, since the famous Mascleta that take place every afternoon involve the simultaneous detonation of hundreds of firecrackers and are a lively assault on the ears!
Yet the locals, for whom celebration inevitably involves a hundred decibels, look forward every year to the spirit of misrule that takes over the city and results in several days of mind-blowing spectacle.
For more information on Valencia and the fallas, visit Valencia’s official tourist site at: http://www.turisvalencia.es
