The Holy Week in Valladolid is one of the main tourist attractions, and cultural and religious events of Valladolid and the surrounding province during Holy Week in Spain. It boasts of renowned polychrome sculptures, created mainly by sculptors such as Juan de Juni and Gregorio Fernández, who were active when the city served as the imperial court. The city's National Sculpture Museum has a total of 42 images (distributed in the corresponding pasos) for the processions. The Holy Week in Valladolid is known to depict the Passion with great fidelity, rigor and detail.
In addition to the artistic and catechetical (instructional) value of its religious imagery, the Week is characterized by devotion, sobriety, silence and respect for the brotherhoods and the public, and by unique acts such as the "General Procession of the Sacred Passion of the Redeemer" and "Sermon of the Seven Words" in the Plaza Mayor, which recalls the autos de fé (ritual of public penance) of the 16th century. For these reasons, this celebration was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest in 1980 (the first Holy Week celebration in Spain to have such a designation), and in 2014 work began to have it recognized as a representation of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Brotherhoods
The city's twenty brotherhoods (five were historical and the rest were created beginning in 1920) have a total of fifty-nine different pasos, which are described by the brotherhood that owns each of them, and hold a total of thirty-three floats (processions) as well as the "Proclamation" and the "Sermon of the Seven Words".
Processions
The processions begin the Friday before Good Friday and continue until the Sunday of Resurrection. Hundreds of penitents or cofrades take part in the parades, carrying the pasos or walking the old streets of the city with crosses, flags or candles. Thousands of people, including locals and visitors attend the events. The silence is only interrupted by the sound of drums and trumpets. The pasos are the core of the festival. They consist of a wooden sculpture, or group of sculptures, that narrates a scene from the Passion of Christ. They are carried by porters, who are members of the brotherhoods, on a platform or staves. The processions are organized by hermandades and cofradÃÂas (religious brotherhoods). Members precede the pasos dressed in penitential robes with capirotes, (tall, pointed hoods with eye-holes). The capirotes were designed so the faithful could repent in anonymity, without being recognised as self-confessed sinners. Each brotherhood has its own distinct colors, reflected in its members' costumes, that distinguish them from other brotherhoods.
The Archbishopric of Valladolid, carefully following the liturgy, has been considering the day of the Holy Saturday as non-liturgical, and therefore, not suitable for holding processions. Based on this consideration, only a procession of Solitude is held in the morning, with absence of any adornment to the image of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. The transfer of the Recumbent Christ is held in the afternoon and closes the Passion. Visitors are still waiting for the Resurrection. Special importance is then offer to the Blessed Virgin, a penitential act that is celebrated in the church of Vera Cruz.
The Days of Holy Week
During the Friday and Saturday of Passion Week and into Holy Week itself, the following brotherhoods make their penitential processions in Valladolid, by the order of precedence of their entry into the main church and by the date of their founding.
Friday of Sorrows
- CofradÃÂa del Santo Entierro (Brotherhood of the Holy Burial). 1930.
- CofradÃÂa de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz y Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Brotherhood of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and our Lady of Sorrows). 1944.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de la Sagrada Pasión de Cristo (Penitential Procession of the Sacred Passion of Christ). 1531.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de la Santa Vera Cruz (Penitential Confraternity of the Holy Vera Cruz). 1498.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de la Santa Vera Cruz (Penitential Confraternity of the Holy Vera Cruz). 1498.
- Venerable CofradÃÂa de la PreciosÃÂsima Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo (Venerable Confraternity of the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ). 1929.
- CofradÃÂa de las Siete Palabras (Brotherhood of the Seven Words). 1929.
- Hermandad Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesús atado a la Columna (Penitential Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus tied to the Column). 1930.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de La Oración del Huerto y San Pascual Bailón (Brotherhood of the penitential prayer in Gethsemane and of Saint Pascual Bailon). 1939.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial del SantÃÂsimo Cristo Despojado, Cristo Camino del Calvario y Nuestra Señora de la Amargura. (Penitential Confraternity of the Blessed Christ stripped, Christ on the road to Calvary, and Our Lady of the Bitterness). 1943.
- Hermandad del Santo Cristo de los Artilleros (Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of the artillerymen). 1944.
- CofradÃÂa del DiscÃÂpulo Amado y Jesús de Medinaceli (Brotherhood of the Beloved Disciple and Jesus of Medinaceli). 2011. One of the newest to be formed, and the youngest brotherhood.
- Ilustre CofradÃÂa Penitencial de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias (Illustrious Penitential Brotherhood of Our Lady of Anguish). 1536.
- Hermandad Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesús atado a la Columna (Penitential Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus tied to the Column). 1930.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial del SantÃÂsimo Cristo Despojado, Cristo Camino del Calvario y Nuestra Señora de la Amargura. (Penitential Confraternity of the Blessed Christ stripped, Christ on the road to Calvary, and Our Lady of the Bitterness). 1943.
- CofradÃÂa de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad (Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy). 1578.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Penitential Confraternity of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth). 1596.
- CofradÃÂa de las Siete Palabras (Brotherhood of the Seven Words). 1929.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial y Sacramental de la Sagrada Cena (Sacramental and penitential Confraternity of the Holy Supper). 1940.
- CofradÃÂa del Santo Sepulcro y SantÃÂsimo Cristo del Consuelo ('Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre and Great Holy Christ of the Comfort). 1945.
- CofradÃÂa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Resucitado y MarÃÂa SantÃÂsima de la AlegrÃÂa (Confraternity of Our Father The Risen Jesus and Holy Mary of Joy). 1960.
- CofradÃÂa de la Orden Franciscana Seglar (V.O.T.) (Brotherhood of the Secular Franciscan Order (V. O. T. )). 15th century.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de la Santa Vera Cruz (Penitential Confraternity of the Holy Vera Cruz). 1498.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de la Sagrada Pasión de Cristo (Penitential Procession of the Sacred Passion of Christ). 1531.
- CofradÃÂa de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad (Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy). 1578.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Penitential Confraternity of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth). 1596.
- Venerable CofradÃÂa de la PreciosÃÂsima Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo (Venerable Confraternity of the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ). 1929.
- CofradÃÂa del Santo Entierro (Brotherhood of the Holy Burial). 1930.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial de La Oración del Huerto y San Pascual Bailón (Brotherhood of the penitential prayer in Gethsemane and Saint Pascual Bailon). 1939.
- CofradÃÂa del Descendimiento y SantÃÂsimo Cristo de la Buena Muerte (Brotherhood of the descent and Holy Christ of the Good Death). 1939.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial y Sacramental de la Sagrada Cena (Sacramental and penitential Confraternity of the Holy Supper). 1940.
- Hermandad Universitaria del Santo Cristo de la Luz (University Brotherhood of Santo Cristo de la Luz). 1941.
- CofradÃÂa Penitencial del SantÃÂsimo Cristo Despojado, Cristo Camino del Calvario y Nuestra Señora de la Amargura. (Penitential Confraternity of the Blessed Christ stripped, Christ on the road to Calvary, and Our Lady of the Bitterness). 1943.
- CofradÃÂa de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz y Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Brotherhood of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and our Lady of Sorrows). 1944.
- CofradÃÂa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Resucitado y MarÃÂa SantÃÂsima de la AlegrÃÂa (Confraternity of Our Father The Risen Jesus and Holy Mary of Joy). 1960.
- CofradÃÂa de la Orden Franciscana Seglar (V.O.T.) (Brotherhood of the Secular Franciscan Order (V. O. T. )). 15th century.
- Ilustre CofradÃÂa Penitencial de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias ('Illustrious Penitential Brotherhood of Our Lady of Anguish). 1536.
- CofradÃÂa de las Siete Palabras (Brotherhood of the Seven Words). 1929.
- Hermandad Universitaria del Santo Cristo de la Luz (University Brotherhood of Santo Cristo de la Luz). 1941.
- CofradÃÂa del Santo Entierro (Brotherhood of the Holy Burial). 1930.
- CofradÃÂa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Resucitado y MarÃÂa SantÃÂsima de la AlegrÃÂa (Confraternity of Our Father The Risen Jesus and Holy Mary of Joy). 1960.
See also
Bibliography
- Burrieza Sánchez, Javier (2004). Cinco Siglos de CofradÃÂas y Procesiones. Junta de CofradÃÂas de Semana Santa de Valladolid. Depósito Legal VA. 201-2004.
- Varios autores (2005). Memorias de la Pasión en Valladolid. Junta de CofradÃÂas de Semana Santa. Depósito Legal VA. 174-2005.
- Burrieza Sánchez, Javier (2005). GuÃÂa Histórico ArtÃÂstica de la Procesión General. Junta de CofradÃÂas de Semana Santa. Depósito Legal VA. 809-2005.
- Burrieza Sánchez, Javier (2010). Historia de una Procesión: 200 años de la General del Viernes Santo de Valladolid. Ayuntamiento de Valladolid y Junta de CofradÃÂas de Semana Santa. Depósito Legal VA. 229-2010
References
External links