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From 1st to 19th of March, at 14:00 o'clock in 'Plaza del Ayuntamiento' (City Council Square).
The "mascleta '" is a pyrotechnics spectacle
in which the protagonist is the sound. On the contrary that the traditional fireworks,
where the spectacle is color and light, and the sound has a secondary role,
in mascletá the
explosions, the rithm and the final sonorous earthquake are the protagonists
of the spectacle.
In the image, at 08:00AM begin the preparations, spreading
the cords that will hold the firecrackers, well-known popularly like "masclets".
From first hour in the morning, the workers work to let the mascletá ready.
On cords hanging on supports, the technicians are tending the strips of firecrackers, popularly known like "masclets", thats why it is called mascletá.
The firecrackers that conform mascletá (well-known popularly as "masclets") are placed hanging of the cords, and form a colorful spectacle.
The color of "masclets", and their caliber, indicates the explosive power. In each mascletá, burns a total of between 100 and 120 kg of gunpowder.
13:00 hours: an hour before the beginning of the spectacle, everything is ready.
The public already begins to be abundant, and takes the positions nearest the square, to see mascletá in first row.
If you want to have a good vision of the event, try to be in the square of the city council before 13:30.
14:00 hours: the strokes of the city council bell sound. The head fallera (the queen of the celebration), gives permission to the pyrotechnics to begin the mascletá.
"Mascletaes" are divided, traditionally, in several stages. The first part is aerial, and of little duration. Quickly it takes step to the terrestrial part, that begins timidly, but gets stronger progressively.
After a brief aerial gunnery, the terrestrial part of mascletá begins, progressively increasing its power and its rate.
The public values the rate very positively. The silences or the interruptions are not tolerated.
The pyrotechnics responsible for mascletá directs its team of workers, and he indicates the moment for igniting each group of "masclets", so that the rate does not decay.
The firing of mascletá is a task developed of manual form.The presence of the electronics is almost testimonial in most of the occasions.
The second part(report) of the mascletá is on the verge of finishing.
At this moment, the half of the mascletá has passed, although the major quantity of gunpowder is reserved for the last two stages.
It begins the third stage of the mascletá. The pace hastens suddenly, and the noise increases up to a deafening level.
Now there are several strips of masclets exploding simultaneously and every second the power of the explosions goes in increase.
In the most intense moments of the mascletá, it can be reached a sonorous level near to 120 decibels.
The third stage of the mascletá is finishing. The most powerful "masclets" explode simultaneously, with a deafening sound that makes tremble the ground under our feet.
The last stage of the mascletá is the strong aerial gunnery, which competes in power with the final part of the terrestrial fire.
The mortars throw simultaneously tens of firecrackersto to the air, that explode over our heads.
The smoke, the noise, and the smell of gunpowder flood the square.
Finished the mascletá, the public, filled with enthusiasm, assaults the square and runs to congratulating the pyrotechnic, which in occasions is carried out on shoulders.
