Joan's Secret. We are the foot
This secret is the essence of the current Castellers de Vilafranca
Very few people know the meaning of the hastag #Somelpeu (#wearethefoot) that Castellers de Vilafranca normally use. Joan Badell, former president, loves to explain this secret because it is the essence of the current group of castellers, and where it all surely began.
In the 19th century, Vilafranca fans and followers were at the foot of the human towers
Since 1771, the year of the first reference to the Ball de Valencians Vilafranquí, origin of the current castells (human towers), the Vilafranca town hall square has been the scene of the best human constructions of each era.
When the group Pagesos i Menestrals dels Xiquets de Valls were invited to the Saint Fèlix festivities in Vilafranca for an exhibiton of their dances and acrobatics, the people of Vilafranca helped support the foot, the foundation of the human tower.
Thanks to their help, the Xiquets de Valls were able to build the highest castles at the time in Vilafranca del Penedès. On Saint Felix's day in 1860, 9-story castles were seen for the first time. That year, the Vilafranca people were already in the foot, folre and other prominent positions of the Xiquets de Valls.
This casteller heritage, culminated in 1948 with the foundation of the Castellers de Vilafranca. That's why, we can say that Vilafranca's castle-building hobby began as the foot of the most important castles of their day, and they are heirs to people like to call "the town square with most castles".