What is
A pine tree is cut down on the Ternelles property, it is dragged to the town, it is planted in the Plaça Vella and the young people climb to reach the basket at the top, where there used to be a live rooster.
On i quan
- Pollença, Sant Antoni days (January). The felling is done earlier (in 2026, on January 7, with an ax).
Personatges and objects
- Es Pi: stripped trunk, maximum 20 m since 2018.
- The crown basket: with rooster until 2019; Since then, a symbolic object.
- The young people who choose, prepare and drag the pine tree; the bidder who crowns.
How is
1. The young people choose the pine in Ternelles and prepare it a week before.
2. They cut it down and drag it to the town.
3. They plant it in Plaça Vella.
4. Attempts to climb until someone reaches the top, often at dawn.
Vocabulary
- pi: pine; here, the ritual trunk.
- pujar al pi: climb.
- coronar: reach the basket.
- Ternelles: property and valley where the pine comes from.
History
- Ancient tradition (to verify documentary date).
- 2018: the pine splits almost in half when planted; two injured. Maximum height of 20 m is set.
- 2019: the basket no longer has a live rooster.
- 2026: Joan Rebassa crown (born 2008), third minor in a row; The pine tree broke into three parts.
Protection
- Without localized declaration (to verify).
Why is it design
- Ritual of a single object: tree, basket and human body.
- Design by rules: security changes the object (height, prize) without changing the rite.
For the project
- Comparative context: «arbres de maig» and Mediterranean cucañas.
- Powerful image for the platform: the naked trunk as an ephemeral sculpture.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pi de Sant Antoni de Pollença?
A pine tree is cut down on the Ternelles property, it is dragged to the town, it is planted in the Plaça Vella and the young people climb to reach the basket…
What are the traditional words for Pi de Sant Antoni de Pollença?
Some words: coronar, pi, pujar al pi, Ternelles.
Sources
- en.arabalears.cat/society/the-pi-pollenca-breaks-into-three-parts_1_5621183.amp.
- ultimahora.es/noticias/part-forana/2018/01/18/321309/polln-promovera-cambios-par
- ultimahora.es/noticias/part-forana/2019/01/16/1051149/cesta-vuelve-corona-del-po
Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.