Semana Santa in Seville

Paths of the various processions

The celebrations of Semana Santa ( Holy Week ) in Seville are the most important and well-known in all of Spain . From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday , the whole city lives under the spell of processions .

history

The first Hermandades were formed as early as the 14th century. At that time, public scourging was widespread and widely recognized as a means of forgiveness of sins . These first brotherhoods, some of which still live on today after amalgamations and name changes, held the first processions in which the participants castigated. The brotherhoods of this time were usually formed from members of a certain social, professional or ethnic group. This is still manifest today in the names of some of the older brotherhoods: Los Panaderos (the bakers) or Los Gitanos (the gypsies) .

The origin of the Semana Santa, as it is celebrated today, is in the year 1521 . Fadrique Enríquez de Ribera, the first Marquis of Tarifa , established a Way of the Cross after his return from the Holy Land . In the years that followed, the stations of this Way of the Cross marked the course of the penitential processions of the brotherhoods of Seville.

In 1604 , Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara laid the foundation stone for the processional way that is still used today. He determined that all the brotherhoods of Seville should visit the cathedral on their way of penance , and those from Triana the Parroquía de Santa Ana. The background was new ecclesiastical regulations aimed at directing the public flagellation into regulated channels.

In the course of the 18th century there was a shift in the basic structure of the Hermandades : they changed from organizations reserved for certain groups to hermandades de barrio , ie institutions connected to the district of their home community.

In the 19th century the most serious conflicts arose between the brotherhoods and the authorities. Among other things, the oppression under the French occupation of Spain and the following liberal governments led to the disappearance of numerous brotherhoods.

In the second half of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century, the Semana Santa was formed in its current form. The Catholic Church endeavored to strengthen the position of Christian rituals in society. In particular, Marian veneration was promoted, e.g. B. by proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 . In addition, various communities discovered the tourist attraction of the traditional processions and subsidized the Hermandades in order to preserve this tradition. With this overcoming of the conflict with the state power, the way was clear for the great importance that the celebrations of Holy Week in Seville and all of Spain have today. In the following decades, the Semana Santa developed step by step in its current form. In recent years, various brotherhoods have also allowed women to take part in the processions. Traditionally women could be members of a Hermandad , but not go with the procession as a Nazarena .

The processions

Typical process

Capataz ( Porter Head)

Costaleros (porter)

The processional procession ( called cortejo ) of a Hermandad is roughly structured as follows:

Cruz de Guía (Leading Cross): A large cross, usually made of wood and decorated with silver, that opens the procession and paves the way for the train. In some brotherhoods, the Cruz de Guía is followed by a first chapel.

Nazarenos del Cristo : The first part of the penitents. Usually these go in rows of two and carry large candles, sometimes other insignia can also be seen, e.g. B. silver bars, the flags of the brotherhood or wooden crosses.

Paso del Cristo : The first Paso to depict a scene from the story of suffering. It is led by a capataz and carried on the shouldersby around 40 to 50 costaleros . Most of the Hermandades are followed by a band thatplays solemn marching music . Some brotherhoods have no musical accompaniment.

Nazarenos de la Virgen : The second part of the penitents. In some brotherhoods, their clothes differ from those of the Nazarenos del Cristo

Paso de la Virgen or Paso de palio : The second paso that concludes the procession. It shows an image of the Virgin Mary and is covered with a canopy . This paso is also usually followed by a chapel.

Processional route

The start and end of each procession is the neighborhood in which the brotherhood is based. Most fraternities have their own chapel or are church connected, start from the church it the procession. The exodus ( salida ) is observed by the relatives and friends of the penitents and is one of the most emotional moments of a Semana Santa procession.

Then the procession moves towards the center. Depending on the distance from the home district, this route can take up to eight hours. In the center of Seville is the so-called carrera oficial (official route), which must be passed by all brotherhoods. Boxes and folding chairs are set up along this route and can be rented on a daily basis. The carrera oficial ends in the cathedral, where the brotherhoods hold their estación de penitencia , the penitentiary station. Then you leave the cathedral on the opposite side and start your way back.

The entrada , i.e. the entry of the brotherhood into their chapel after the end of the procession, is another emotional and very worth seeing moment, especially since it usually takes place at night, so that the candle-lit pasos appear particularly splendid.

sympathy

In contrast to other parts of Spain, where Holy Week is primarily a holiday and is often used for the first beach excursion of the year, the processions in Seville are followed with great sympathy throughout the city. At least the procession of the brotherhood of one's own quarter is followed by most Sevillians, especially the departure and the return enjoy a great deal of attention.

While the Nazarenos pass by, there are lively discussions among the audience, but they immediately fall silent when a paso comes into view. This is observed in practically complete silence. Some of the most popular figures of Mary, especially the two Esperanzas of the brotherhoods Esperanza de Triana and La Macarena , evoke strong emotions among their most loyal followers.

The capillitas

The most loyal "fans" of Semana Santa are called capillitas . This term has nothing derogatory and is used by those concerned themselves. A capillita is characterized by extensive detailed knowledge of the history of the Hermandades , new elements in the pasos , the processional marches and every other topic connected with the Semana Santa. Their knowledge of the best places to watch the individual processions make them invaluable helpers for lay people and those new to Semana Santa.

Semana Santa for children

There are two activities for children to pass the time while a procession goes by. For one thing, many Nazarenos carry sweets and other sweets with them, which they hand out to children during breaks. This custom is said to have developed in order to take away children’s fear of the menacing masked penitents. The Nazarenos of Los Panaderos distribute so-called picos , small sticks of bread.

The second pastime is collecting wax. To do this, the Nazarenos are asked to let some wax drip from their candles onto a ball that the child forms in the hands and which continues to grow over the course of the week.

The saeta

Saeta singer

The saeta ( "Arrow") is a from the flamenco -derived vocals . It is sung by a single singer, who usually stands on a balcony along the processional route, without any instrumental accompaniment. Most of the saetas are dedicated to the Virgenes , i.e. the statues of Mary, but there are also saetas in honor of some of the most popular Christ figures (e.g. Nuestro Padre Jesús el Nazareno by Hermandad El Silencio ). The paso with the sung picture continues during the singing.