Agence Vu for Life
01 January, 1992
Valencia celebrates the arrival of spring with the Las Fallas festival. On March 18 flowers are offered to the Virgin Mary, and the following day is dedicated to San José. In the afternoon of the 19th the city center explodes in a riot of noise and smoke in all colors of the rainbow. The festival reaches its climax after dark, with firework displays and a gigantic bonfire in which the 'fallas', cardboard figures such as these lifelike horses, go up in smoke. Only the most beautiful figure is kept for posterity.