The Muixeranga de la Marina Alta debuts its new five-story tower “Portitxol” in Xàbia

The Muixeranga of the Marina Alta reigned supreme in the Port of Xàbia last Sunday with the unveiling of one of its largest towers, the five-story tower called “Portitxol,” which pays tribute to the fishermen of the region. One hundred and ten people from various towns in the Marina Alta participated in the creation of this iconic and unprecedented human tower, which was proposed to the group by the Xàbia Fishermen’s Guild.

The new tower, the creation of former maestro and founder of the group, Saül Ortolà, is based on the four-story Castillo de los Dansantes de Peñíscola (Castle of the Dancers of Peñíscola), but this time seeking a height increase by adding a level. The new five-story figure, ‘El Portitxol,’ the island’s name, was displayed in Xàbia in front of hundreds of people and to the sound of the Colla Portitxol Dolçaines i Tabalets. This same tower will be unveiled in July in Calp.

The project in Xàbia follows a year of mutual recognition between the fishermen’s guilds of the region and the Muixeranga of the Marina Alta, and coincides with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Pòsit, the creation of the Fishermen’s Guilds.

The event, which included the creation of various towers by the large green group, was organized with the support of the Department of Culture in Xàbia.

The Muixeranga group has pointed out that this year, for the first time, La Federación de Muixerangues has raised up to six peñas to the category of Peñas of 5 (among them, the Muixeranga de la Marina Alta) and three peñas in the maximum category of 6, which means that there are more groups looking to expand the repertoire left by traditional peñas such as the Muixeranga de Titaigües or the Dansants de Peñíscola, and based on this way of raising human towers, new compositions are created.