Province
Holy Week
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An introduction to the processions. The several fundamental elements of a procession are highlighted in a chronologic order, from the start to the end.1 - La Marcha  The musical compositions accompanying the majority of the floats are called Fraternity marches. A lot of them are beautiful pieces of music, such as Amargura, Virgen del Valle, and Jesús de las Penas. 2 - La Cruz de Guía  A banner which opens the procession with two nazarenos carrying lanterns on either side. 3 - La Bulla  Crowds of people around the floats in certain areas along the routes of the Fraternities. 4 - Los Nazarenos  Members of the fraternities which make up the procession. They carry candels and banners, wearing tunics, an antifaz (the piece of cloth covering the faces of nazarenos and penitents) and a capirote (the cardboard cone inside the antifaz, keeping it upright on the head). 5 - El Paso del Cristo  Un Paso is a float or portable platform and all the images and elements it contains. The float may carry an image of Christ, of the Virgin or a Mystery (a set of images which represent a scene from the Passion of Christ). A Paso is carried by the costaleros, some 20 to 30 strong men, normally from the brotherhood, who go almost unseen under the float, They are directed by the capataz through the many narrow streets of Seville.El Paso del Cristo is generally the first float. 6 - Los Penitentes  The Penitents are the members of the fraternity, who perform the autentic act of penitence, carrying a wooden cross, sometimes two, and, frequently, walking barefoot the whole distance of the procession. In many cases this is still done as an act of fulfilment of a promise to Christ.Penitents are dressed like the Nazarenos, but they don't have a capirote, which leaves the upper part of the antifaz hanging backwards. The penitents follow directy after el Paso del Cristo. 7 - El Paso Palio  El Paso Palio is the float which carries La Virgen, also called La Dolorosa (the hurt), La Amargura (the bitterness), or more optimistic La Esperanza (the hope).For the people of Seville this is the most important part of the procession. They may wait hours on a strategic location to see "their" Virgen pass by that particular spot. For the Sevillians each Virgen is different, unique and special, although for the visiting foreigner they may all seem the same (but don't ever dare saying that to the local people!). This is because, unlike the floats of Christ, that carry different representations, the floats of the Virgen all represent the same moment of the biblical history; the Holy Mother crying for the death of her son. This one representation has many differences in it's details, where the Sevillians know about, while foreign people may not notice them in the first place. They might, after seeing several different Palios. One important element that changes is El Manto, the huge piece of rich fabrics, which are delicately embroidered and flows from the statue of the Virgen over a hard support covering the back of the float. The float itself has a canopy, supported by the Varales, like a protecting roof over the Virgin. Many of them are true jewels of silver and gold craftsmanship and embroidery. The Varales are the twelve vertical poles of the float, which are decorated with works of gold an silver as well. These poles are connected rather loosly, so that the characteristic swaying movement of the Costaleros can be transmitted to the float. And last but not least, if one gets close enough, it is possible to see the difference in the faces of each of the Virgins. |
Map of the processions
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