todayimages

Holy Week in Cuenca has been declared an Event of International Tourist Interest. The most famous procession is the Stations of the Cross (Camino del Calvario), whose origins date back to 1916; it is also known as the ‘procession of the drunks' (procesión de las turbas or procesión de los borrachos), representing the mockery and whipping that Jesus Christ received on the road to Calvary. The fiestas of St. Matthew (San Mateo) in the second fortnight of September are the most important in Cuenca; they commemorate the day that Cuenca was conquered by Alfonso VIII of Castile.

Dramatized Passion is a representation of the last days of Christ in the Church of the Guard, Toledo province (Spain). With a long history of 27 years this amateur theater group achieves a surprising dramatic realism and quality in an unprofessional company. The veracity of the scenes is accompanied by a minimalist production but enthusiastic, and is formed only by the village people.

Easter processions in Spain : Bilbao, Murcia and Lorca

The El Rocío pilgrimage is the most famous in the region, attracting nearly a million people from across Andalucia and the entire country, and beyond. Every Andalucian city, town and village has its own pilgrimages, for its patron saint, virgin or other much-loved local figure. But the El Rocio has cult status, and is the most important and most colourful. This cult dates back to the 13th century, when a hunter from the village of Villamanrique (or Almonte, depending on which version of the story you follow) discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary in a tree trunk in the Doñana park. A chapel was built where the tree stood, and it became a place of pilgrimage. Devotion to this particular version of the Virgin was initially a local affair. Then, by the 17th century, hermandades (brotherhoods) were making the trip from nearby towns at Pentecost; by the 19th century, they came from all over Huelva, Cadiz and Seville, on a journey taking up to four days.