Anyone walking through Valencia the next few days won’t be able to avoid noticing the statues which have been placed on nearly every street corner. Some of them are big, others huge, and a few are colossal. These are the Fallas monuments — artful creations made of Styrofoam and wood, which stand out as much for their sudden ubiquity in Valencia as their frequently stunning beauty and wicked sense of humor.
And after 4 days, they’re set on fire. All of them*
They seem to be everywhere, but how many Fallas figures actually are there around the city? By my count, 382 are in competition, separated into 17 categories. A quick breakdown:
| Special Section: 15 monuments (including the Ayuntamiento monument, which is the only one paid for by the city, and which isn’t in competition) | ||
| Primera A: 16 Monuments | Primera B: 21 Monuments | |
| Segunda A: 22 Monuments | Segunda B: 22 Monuments | |
| Tercera A: 23 Monuments | Tercera B: 23 Monuments | |
| Cuarta A: 23 Monuments | Cuarta B: 22 Monuments | |
| Quinta A: 22 Monuments | Quinta B: 22 Monuments | |
| Sexta A: 24 Monuments | Sexta B: 25 Monuments | Sexta C: 23 Monuments |
| Séptima A: 25 Monuments | Séptima B: 26 Monuments | Séptima C: 28 Monuments |
All of the monuments are in competition within their division, with prize money ranging from €18,000 (for the Special Section) to €180 (for the winner of Séptima C). We’re going to be posting pictures of as many of the monuments as we can, and will try and indicate which section each belongs to.
*All of the Fallas monuments are set aflame during the Cremà on the night of the 19th, except for one. This lucky statue won a popular vote, winning it reprieve from fiery destruction.
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