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Illumination of signal towers

Every June 23 at 22 p.m., the network of Towers and Castles of the Kingdom of Majorca lights up around Canigó in Haut Vallespir, Roussillon Conflent and Conflent Canigó under the name of TORREFOCS (tower of lights).

Each year, the network of signal towers lights up. It was also one of the only events that lasted during the Covid19 pandemic because there was no need to gather at one point.

In 70 years, Anny de Pous, born in Palalda in 1908 and died in Prades in 1991, was an archaeologist and historian who devoted her life to the study of signal towers. It carries out visibility tests from Tours to Tours.
Of 1995 1997 to The Rempart association is organizing the first signal tower event which will last 3 years.
Since 2014 Each year the Haut Vallespir organizes the illumination of the signal towers on June 23rd.
In 2016, during a meeting of the College of Signal Towers in Serralongue, an event of greater magnitude is drawn.
In 2017, The Rempart association meets with the College of Signal Towers and gives the reports of its event and explains the difficulties that the association has encountered. Multiple tests are then organized day and night between the different towers of the Pyrénées Orientales. The event is publicized in the program Échappées Belles.
In 2018, During a Grand Site Occitanie meeting, the event is brought forward.
In 2019, A file is presented to the Department, but the pandemic will block the rest.
In 2020 and 2021, despite the pandemic, the primitive event persists, because it does not require regrouping at a point and is visible from afar.In 2022, the event takes on an inter-Community of Municipalities dimension with Haut Vallespir, Rousillon Conflent and Conflent Canigó under the banner of Destination Canigó País Català and coordinated by the Syndicat Mixte Canigó Grand Site.

The flame descends from the Canigó to ignite the fires of Saint John in the villages and illuminate the signal towers. It is a message of hope, peace and brotherhood transmitted by this signal and relayed from village to village.

Other the symbolic aspect, there is the dimension of protection and animation of the inheritance. Indeed, most of the players are associations and municipalities working in the general interest for the safeguarding and restoration of Catalan heritage.

TORREFOCS 2022



The towers and castles that participated in the event this year 2022: Mir Tower (Prats-de-Mollo), Cabrenç Tower (Serralongue, Lamanère), Mollet Castle (Montferrer), Cortsaví Tower, Batera Tower (Corsavy, Saint Marsal), La Bastide Castle, Belpuig Castle, Belesta Castle, Rodes Castle, Eus Bell Tower, Castell d'Arrià (Ria-Sirach), Prats Balaguer Tower and Castle (Fontpédrouse), Corts Tower (Taurinya), Goa Tower (Sahorre, Casteil).

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