Holy Week in Seville (Spanish:Semana Santa de Sevilla) is one of two biggest annual festivals inSevilla,Andalucía,Spain, the other being theFeria de Abril (April Fair), which follows two weeks later. It is celebrated in the week leading up toEaster (Holy Week among Christians), and features theprocession ofpasos, floats of lifelike woodensculptures of individual scenes ofsorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, or images of the grievingVirgin Mary.
Some of the sculptures are of great antiquity, considered artistic masterpieces, and hold cultural and spiritual significance for the local Catholic population.
There are up to threepasos in each procession. The pasos dedicated toJesus use figures of wood, wax, and wire to depict scenes from thePassion, and are usually covered in gold. The pasos dedicated to theVirgin Mary are usually covered in silver, and depict Mary weeping for her Son and sometimes holding Him in her arms.[1]
The processions are organized byhermandades andcofradías, religious brotherhoods. Members precede thepasos dressed in penitential robes withcapirotes, tall, pointed hoods with eye-holes.[2] Thecapirotes were designed so the faithful could repent in anonymity, without being recognised as self-confessed sinners.[3]
Nearly 70cofradias (church brotherhoods) take part, each with their own image, as well as colourful misterios (tableaux of bible scenes), on elaborately decorated pasos (floats). They may be accompanied bybrass bands. The processions follow a designated route from their home-churches and chapels to thecathedral, usually via a central viewing area and back. The ones from the suburbanbarrios may take 14 hours to return to their home churches.[3]
The processions continue fromPalm Sunday toEaster Sunday morning. The climax of the week is the night ofHoly Thursday, when the processions set out to arrive at the cathedral on the dawn ofGood Friday, known as themadrugá.[3]
The core events inSemana Santa are the processions of the brotherhoods, known asestación de penitencia (stations of penance), from their homechurch orchapel to thecathedral ofSeville and back. The last section before arriving to the cathedral is common to all brotherhoods and is known as theCarrera Oficial.
The standard structure of a procession is:
A great cross (the so-calledCruz de Guía – Guiding Cross) is carried at the beginning of each procession.
A number of people (sometimes barefoot) dressed in a habit and with the distinctive pointed hood (capirote), and holding long wax candles (only lit by night), marching in silence. These are thenazarenos. Colours, forms and details of the habit are distinctive for each brotherhood – and sometimes for different locations within the procession. Usually theNazarenos march in pairs, and are grouped behind the insignia. Moving between the lines arediputados de tramo, guardians who maintain the organization of the formations.
A group of altar boys,acolytes, dressed investments (many of them wearingdalmatics), with chandeliers and incense, and other servants.
ThePaso. A float or platform that carries sculptures depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ or the Virgin Mary. These floats are an integral part of the processions during Holy Week. They are often large and ornate and carried through the streets by members of religious brotherhoods or cofradías. Each paso is a work of art and devotion, and they play a central role in the elaborate and solemn processions that take place during the week.
When applicable, the musical group follows (bands) or precedes thepaso (chapel wind ensemble).
A number ofpenitentes, carrying wooden crosses, making public penance. They wear the habit and the hood of the brotherhood, but unlike the nazarenos, they do not have a pointed hood.
This structure repeats itself depending on the number ofpasos (up to three). Usually the lastpaso is not followed bypenitentes, and the procession should be closed -presided- by the titular chaplain in full processional vestments known asel preste
Although this is the standard structure, depending on the traditions of each brotherhood, details (and even the plan) may vary.
A procession can be made up from a few hundred to near 3,000Nazarenos and last anywhere from 4 to 14 hours, depending how far the home church is from the cathedral. The largest processions can take over an hour and a half to cross one particular spot.
The structure of thepaso is richly carved and decorated with fabric, flowers and candles.
The sculptures themselves are carved and painted, and often lifesize or larger. The oldest surviving were carved in the 16th century,[citation needed] though new images continue to be added. Those highly regarded artistically include theNuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder andSantísimo Cristo de la Buena Muerte byJuan de Mesa y Velasco,Francisco Antonio Ruíz Gijón'sSantísimo Cristo de la Expiración (known asEl Cachorro), and the two virgins namedNuestra Señora de la Esperanza fromMacarena andTriana.[citation needed] All of the principal images of theSemana Santa are on display for veneration in their home churches all year round.
Overseer giving orders to thecostaleros
A distinctive feature of Semana Santa in Seville is the style of marching of thepasos. A team of men, thecostaleros (literally "sack men", for their distinctive – and functional – headdress), supporting the beams upon their shoulders and necks, lift, move and lower thepaso. As they are all inside the structure and hidden from the external view by a curtain, thepaso seems to move by itself. On the outside an overseer (capataz), guides the team by voice, or through a ceremonial hammerel llamador (caller) attached to thepaso.
Depending on weight (most weigh over atonne), apaso requires between twenty-four and fifty-fourcostaleros to move. Each brotherhood has a distinctive way to raise and move apaso, and even eachpaso within the procession.
Some processions are silent, with no musical accompaniment, some havea cappella choirs or windquartets, but many (and especially those historically associated with poorer neighbourhoods) feature adrum andtrumpet band behind the image of Christ and abrass band behind the Virgin playing hymns ormarchas from a standard repertoire[4] Those associated with the images of Christ are often funeral in nature, while those associated with the Virgin are more celebratory.
As each procession leaves its home church, (an event known as thesalida), at its return (theentrada), and along the march route, improvised flamenco-style songs may be offered by individuals in the crowd or from a balcony. These songs are generically calledsaetas (arrows).
Whenever the images depart or arrive at their home churches or chapels,Marcha Real, the national anthem, is played and proper courtesy is done for both the images and the performance of the anthem.
Many of the processions pass through an official viewing area which occupies some of the city's main streets, beginning inCampana, followed byCalle Sierpes,Plaza San Francisco, andAvenida de la Constitución, before reaching thecathedral. Due to the increasingly tight schedule over the week, and also the urban growth of the city, a number of recently formed brotherhoods have to procession onPassion Week beforePalm Sunday and do not march into the cathedral at all.
The traditional suit worn by women on Thursday (and sometimes on Good Friday) is known asLa Mantilla (the mantle). This custom has become revitalised since the 1980s. The outfit consists of the lace mantle, stiffened by shell or another material, and a black dress, usually mid-leg, with black shoes.[citation needed] It is expected for the woman to hold and show a rosary. Jewelry may include, at most, bracelets and earrings.[citation needed]
Below is a list of the brotherhoods which make penance each day, as of 2010, with the traditional year of establishment (or first procession to the cathedral for those found in the last century), and a few notes. The names in the list are those in common usage.
They are ordered in the same sequence as they enter the cathedral. Unlike other locations, this sequence is not related to the scenes of the Passion their images depict, but on a historically grown set of rules of precedence, tradition, canonical needs, agreements between brotherhoods and logistical considerations.
Rain (or serious menace of) may affect the processions, some may seek refuge to a nearby church or landmarks and wait for a perfect time to go back to their church, or theHermano Mayor may fully suspend the procession. There are 11 days of Holy Week as follows:
La Borriquita (The Little She-Donkey) depicting Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.[1] Thenazarenos corp is exclusively formed by children (except guardians andcostaleros). The first section of the Hermandad del Amor that goes out in procession.
Jesús Despojado (Jesus Stripped). 1936.
La Paz (The Peace). 1939. The paso represents the moment when they are giving Jesus the cross. It is also the first one to go out.
La Hiniesta (The Broom). 1412.[5][6] The paso represents the moment when Jesus is dead on the cross and Mary Magdalene cries below.
San Roque (Saint Roch). 1901.
La Estrella (The Star). 1560.[citation needed] Also known as theValiente (Brave), since it was the only brotherhood which processed in 1932.
La Amargura (The Bitterness). Late 17th century.[citation needed] TheMaría Santísima de la Amargura was the firstDolorosa to be canonically crowned, in 1954.
Santa Genoveva (Saint Genevieve). 1958. This brotherhood's image of the captive Christ is usually escorted by a sizable number of street-dressed women undertaking private penance.
Santa Marta (Saint Martha). 1946. The nazarenos of Santa Marta dress in black because their paso depicts the transportation of Christ's body to the tomb.[1] As of 2007, the only brotherhood whosecostaleros are stillde jure paid for the task.
San Gonzalo (Saint Gundisalvus). 1943
Vera+Cruz (True Cross). Founded in 1448 and revived in the early 20th century.
El Cerro del Águila (The Hill of the Eagle). 1989. It is the brotherhood travelling furthest to make station; the procession lasts some 14 hours.
San Benito (Saint Benedict). Founded by shipbuilders in Triana in the 16th century.
ThePilatos'sPaso fromSan Benito
El Dulce Nombre (The Sweet Name). 1584. It is known popularly asthe Bofetá (slap in the face) because its currentpaso represents the moment when, after Jesus has been detained, he is slapped in the face by a servant.
La Candelaria (The Candlemas). 1922.
San Esteban (Saint Stephen). 1926.
Los Javieres (The Xaviers). 1946.
Los Estudiantes (The Students). 1924. The image ofCristo de la Buena Muerte (1620) is considered the masterwork ofJuan de Mesa y Velasco.
Los Negritos (The Black people). Prior to 1400. Up to the mid 19th century, only black people (both free and slave) could be full members.
La Exaltación (The Exaltation). 16th century. Nicknamedlos caballos (the horses).
Las Cigarreras (The Cigarmakers). 1563. It is the brotherhood of this day with the fewestnazarenes [es]. The image of theMaría Santísima de la Victoria Coronada is considered by several experts as one of the most beautiful in the city.
Monte-Sión (Mount Zion). 1560.
Quinta Angustia (Fifth Anguish). 1541.
El Valle (The Valley). 1590.
Pasión (Passion). 1531. The image ofNuestro Padre Jesús de la Pasión is a masterpiece ofJuan Martínez Montañés.
Starting a little while after midnight into Good Friday, and lasting sometimes until midday, theMadruga (dawn) is the high point of the processions in Seville.
El Silencio (The Silence). 1340. Considered the oldest existing brotherhood. The whole procession is followed by the watching crowd in silence. Penitents and theNuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno image carry the Cross backwards (embracing it).
El Gran Poder (The Great Power). 1431. The image ofNuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder is one of the most venerated in Seville and elsewhere. It's called "El Señor de Sevilla" ("The Lord of Sevilla" in English). This image has got a lot of followers.
La Macarena. 1595. The most popular image of the Virgin in Sevilla. It's called "La Señora de Sevilla" ("The Lady of Sevilla" in English). Her presence arouses passion in the watching crowds. At 14 hours, it is one of the longest, and also one of the most applauded.
El Calvario (The Calvary). 1571. The smallest and shortest procession of the night.
La Esperanza de Triana (The Hope of Triana). 1418. The Virgin ofTriana. She is also known as the "Reina, Madre y Capitana de Triana" (Queen Mother and Captain of Triana). A long and festive procession.
Los Gitanos (The Gypsies). 1753. Even now, thehermano mayor (principal of the brotherhood) is expected to be agypsy.
Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) c. 1570. With representatives of public authorities, civic bodies and legations from most other brotherhoods. Traditionally founded by King Saint Ferdinand III.
La Soledad de San Lorenzo (The Loneliness of Saint Lawrence). 16th century.
The origins of the penitential Holy Week in Seville are to be found in the late Middle Ages (from 1350 onwards),[citation needed] but details are scarce.
By 1578 already over 30 brotherhoods performed penitential processions during the Holy Week.[citation needed]
By 1604[citation needed] CardinalFernando Niño de Guevara, gave the first ordinances mandating all Sevillan confraries to make a stop in the cathedral (and at St. Anna those ofTriana) and assigning certain time frames for this (from Wednesday to Good Friday).[citation needed]
In the 20th century the forms of Holy Week were revived. In the anticlerical period of theSecond Spanish Republic, churches, images and goods were destroyed on July 18, 1936, and thereabouts. There were changes in the period immediately following theII Vatican Council, which coincided with the social changes in Spain around the death ofFrancisco Franco.[citation needed]
^Sevillian terminology for musical groupings is-Banda de Cornetas y Tambores (drum and trumpet/cornet band).-Banda de Musica (fullbrass band orMarching band) – It is only for the Virgin. The repertoire tends to be more triumphal and celebratory.-Agrupación Musical (Musical group/fanfare orchestra) – an intermediate form between the other two- used only for our Lord images.-Musica de Capilla (Chapel music): Normally a wind quartet. Unlike the other music groups they precede the image they escort
^Hermandad de la Hiniesta."Historia". Retrieved7 January 2016.
Webster, Susan Verdi (1998).Art and Ritual in Golden-Age Spain: Sevillian Confraternities and the Processional Sculpture of Holy Week. Princeton University Press.ISBN978-0691048192
Almela Vinet, Francisco (2003).Historia de la Semana Santa en Sevilla : descripción de las cofradías que hacen estación durante la misma a la Santa Iglesia Catedral (1899). Ediciones Espuela de Plata (Editorial Renacimiento).ISBN84-96133-04-4
Carrero Rodríguez, Juan (1981).Gran Diccionario de la Semana Santa. Editorial Almuzara.ISBN84-88586-31-0
Martínez Kleiser, Luis (2003).La Semana Santa de Sevilla (1924). Ediciones Espuela de Plata (Editorial Renacimiento).ISBN84-96133-05-2
Sánchez Herrero, José.La Semana Santa de Sevilla. Editorial Sílex.ISBN84-7737-120-2
Various authors (2003).Recuerda Semana Santa de Sevilla. Editorial Everest S.A.ISBN84-241-0071-9
Antonio M. Rueda, Professor of Spanish Linguistics and Literature.
Michener, James A., and Robert Vavra. Iberia. London (57 Uxbridge Rd, W.5): Corgi, 1971. Print.
Ruta del tambor y el bombo including the Holy Weeks in Albalate del Arzobispo, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, Andorra, Calanda, Híjar, la Puebla de Híjar, Samper de Calanda and Urrea de Gaén (2014)
