Click here for 2012 Semana Santa information.
Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is marked by a series of processions around the town by the different religious brotherhoods, where funereal music, slow drum beats and incense set the mood, whilst dozens of volunteers carry huge platforms bearing images of the Easter story. The first procession is on Palm Sunday, followed by further ones on Wednesday evening, Thursday and Friday night and Sunday morning.
The route of the marches are similar although the one on Easter Sunday is longer. All begin and end at the El Salvador church next to the Balcon de Europa, where the spectacle of the huge icons being sqeezed out of the door is worth seeing. People lining the streets give an indication that you are in the right place, and the slow drum beats in the distance warn of the march’s advance. A good spot to watch all the processions is near to the chemists (Farmacia) on Calle Pintada.
Times
Good Friday – April 22nd 2011
- 6pm Mass at El Salvador Church (on the Balcon)
- 9:30pm Procession of the Burial of Christ and the Holy Virgin of Dolores
Itinerary: See Map – click to enlarge.
Easter Sunday – April 24th 2011
- 11am Mass at El Salvador Church (on the Balcon)
- Midday Procession of Christ Resurrected and Holy Mary
- 8pm Mass at El Salvador Church (on the Balcon)
Itinerary: Starts at El Salvador Church, then Calle Pintada, Los Huertos, Calle Frigliana, Calle Carretas, Plaza Ermita, Calle Granada, Calle Carmen, Balcon de Europa.