The Council of Majorca has two new ambassadors,' two giant figures representing King Jaume II and Queen Esclaramunda. The figures are the work of sculptor Mateu Forteza with the help of Joan Berga and Maria Cerdà. That of Jaume II is four metres high and his wife, Esclaramunda, is 3.5 metres. Their clothing is made of cotton and silk. They were presented with all due ceremony, and most of the members of the Council were on hand to greet them. The two figures then performed a dance at the entrance to Council headquarters. Maria Antonia Munar, the president of the Council of Majorca, said that King Jaume II was a great strategist who maintained diplomatic relations between the kingdom of Majorca and foreign countries. His example is still valid today, she said. The Palma city hall has its own two giant figures, but they are nowhere near as splendid. They represent two payeses or peasants. The giant figures stand at the entrance or just inside the buildings most of the time, but come the fiestas, they are carried out into the streets and dance.' It is a tradition which had been recently revived, and similar figures from other parts of the Catalan-speaking world are often invited to the local fiestas, particularly those commemorating some historical event.
Council of Majorca gives royal welcome to giant figures