Easter Week in Sevilla

These celebrations are famous for their statues of the Virgin Mary with canopies: they are Baroque statues with silver and gold crowns, embroidered cloaks and velvet tunics which only reveal face and hands.

Seville has been holding its Easter week celebrations since the 16th century, and they have become universally famous. Some 50,000 people put on traditional robes to parade in the 58 organised processions, while the "costaleros" carry the pasos (religious statues) on their shoulders. There are processions in the evening and at night every day. Each brotherhood sets out from its church and has an established route, although they must all pass the so-called “official section”, which starts in Calle Campana Street and finishes passing through the Cathedral. Once each procession has left the Cathedral, it returns to its church on a different route to that followed on the way out. The saetas are very emotional moments of the processions: these are flamenco songs, recited a cappella from the balconies in honour of the statues.The early hours of Good Friday constitute the most important time of the Seville Easter week celebrations. That night, some of the most venerated statues make their way through the streets, such as Jesús del Gran Poder, la Macarena, la Esperanza de Triana and elCristo de los Gitanos. The streets of the city fill with people and with emotion all night and well into the following morning. We would, however, recommend patience, because the waits to admire these beautiful statues tend to be long.You can see processions by heading for any point on their routes, except in the “official section”. Here there are seats and stands from which to admire the passing processions. If you would like to reserve a place, contact the Consejo Superior de Hermandades y Cofradías (Brotherhoods’ Association) on tel. 902 995 275, or via their website.Easter week is one of the most spectacular and emotional fiestas here. Religious devotion, art, colour and music combine in acts to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ: the processions. Members of the different Easter brotherhoods, dressed in their characteristic robes, parade through the streets carrying religious statues (pasos) to the sound of drums and music – scenes of sober beauty.