La Massana has celebrated Lo Mandongo, a vibrant festival dedicated to traditional pig slaughter and local gastronomy. Approximately 350 dishes were served, featuring trinxat—a traditional potato and cabbage dish—and various cuts of pork. To prepare for the event, organisers sourced 60 kilos of sausage, 80 kilos of potatoes, 400 pieces of pancetta, 400 cuts of loin, and 400 butifarrons, a type of Catalan sausage.
The preparations began on Thursday and extended over three days to ensure everything was ready for the festivities. Once again, the culinary aspect was spearheaded by the Confraria de Sant Antoni, which comprises professional chefs from across the country and numerous volunteers. The Comú de La Massana expressed gratitude to everyone who dedicated hours to preparing the meals.
Attendees praised the high quality of the food, particularly the trinxat and the various pork dishes. A representative from the Comú remarked, “Lo Mandongo has a significant gastronomic component, rooted in local products and traditional cooking methods, but it also serves as a celebration of our shared history.” This year, the event featured the audiovisual series “La Massana de antes,” which showcased testimonies from older residents about the landscape, daily life, trades, festivals, and traditions.
The series, which attracted considerable interest, highlighted memories and explanations of aspects of daily life that have largely vanished, such as traditional remedies and the responsibilities children had in caring for livestock. Humour also played a key role, with the local senior citizens' theatre group entertaining guests by portraying characters from La Massana’s past who suddenly found themselves in the present, bewildered by the time leap.
The performances elicited laughter from the audience and contributed to the day's theme of connecting the past with the present. The festival also featured traditional music from the Pyrenees, performed by Ivan Caro, a musician dedicated to promoting Pyrenean cultural heritage.
Despite inclement weather, the event proceeded smoothly thanks to the French School, which provided indoor space for the meal. The Comú of La Massana extended its appreciation for this collaboration and the support from sponsors that made this edition of Lo Mandongo possible.
The day was well-received by the public, both for its culinary offerings and the activities related to historical memory recovery. Lo Mandongo thus reaffirms its status as a popular, gastronomic, and intergenerational festival that revives and shares the customs and knowledge of La Massana and the Pyrenees with new generations.
