Unlike Es Firó, the festival of Sant Bartomeu in Soller is a more familiar festivity. It is a local holiday and not festive throughout the island, therefore the “sollerics” can enjoy and celebrate with more privacy because they receive fewer visitors. San Bartholomew is the patron of Soller since the Catalan conquest of Mallorca in the thirteenth century.
Art and ‘correfocs’ in Soller
When? August 24th
Where? Soller
Why? Soller patron saint
What to wear? Light clothing for the summer day, but denim and old clothes if you want to participate in the firework.
What audience is it for? For all ages. Art lovers will enjoy the Nit de l’Art, and the young people the firework.
What represents? Memorial feast of the town dedicated to his patron saint.
Who was Saint Barthelemy? According to Catholic tradition, he was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. His martyrdom was being torn to pieces alive, so the saint in question is represented with a knife in his hand to represent the torture he endured. In the church of Soller we find numerous sculptures and carvings in honor of the saint, and the peculiarity of most of them is that the saint, apart from holding the knife is also holding his own skin.
During the days leading up to August 24 a large number of cultural, recreational and sports events are organized in the valley of the orange trees. One of the most interesting things is the celebration of the Night of the Arts, where local artists exhibit their work in galleries or in the same street. This event takes place one week before the holidays and is famous for the good atmosphere that is created by combining art, music and food.
Besides cultural events, exhibitions, concerts, sporting events, etc. it is noteworthy that the night of the patron saint, for few years, the group Esclatabutzes organizes a “correfoc” (street fireworks) that over time has become one of the most important fire shows on the island. It is an adventurous show of fire and fireworks on the night of St. Bartholomew and as the final act. Group members of ‘Escalabutzes’ dress as demons and make a parade with fireworks to the beat of drums. People dress in long sleeve in order to dance and jump under the sparks from the fires. The organization calls for caution because of the motif of the party. At the end of the fireworks the act ends with a cooling water bath in the Market Square.