Holy week in Estepona. Our lady of Hope / Virgen de la Ezperanza |
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Semana Santa in Estepona - Holy week in Estepona
Guide to Holy Week / Semana Santa in Andalucia
There is a procession on five different days during Semana Santa in Estepona. These days are Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramas), Easter Wednesday (Miércoles Santo), Easter Thursday (Jueves Santo), Good Friday (Viernes Santo) and Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrection). There is no longer a procession on Easter Saturday (Sabado de la Gloria).
Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) - Triunfal Entrada en Jerusalén and Nuestra Señora de la Paz
This is a procession with two floats namely the ‘Triumphal entrance to Jerusalen’ and ‘Nuestra Senora de la Paz’.
The brotherhoods taking part are Hermandad de Nazarenos de la Triunfal Entrada en Jerusalén, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, Santísimo Cristo del Amor, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza y María Inmaculada.
This two float (paso) leaves from Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen at 17.00 and returning at about 21.30.
The itinerary is from Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Plaza Padre Fernando, Calle Navarro Mollor, Avenida Carlos Cano, Avd. Padre Cura, Calle África, Avenida San Lorenzo, Calle Real, Calle Terraza, Official Tribune Grandstand at 20.30hrs, Calle Terraza, Pasaje Cristo del Amor and Casa Hermandad (21:30 hrs).
Miércoles Santo (Easter Wednesday) - El Cautivo and Virgen de la Salud
 Jesus, El Cautivo (left) and Mary, Virgen de la Salud (right) |
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This is the procession of the El Cautivo (the captive) and La Virgen de la Salud (Our lady of health) pasos.
The brotherhood is the ‘Ilustre y Venerable Hermandad Sacramental de Nazarenos de Nuestro Padre Jesús Cautivo y María Santísima de la Salud’.
This two float (paso) procession leaves from the brotherhood’s chapel on Calle Jesús Cautivo in the centre of Estpona old town at 20.30 and returning at about 01.30 hrs.
The first float in the procession is Jesús Cautivo; a reprentation of the captured Jesus Christ dressed in a long white tunic with his hands crossed and tied. The second float is María Santísima de la Salud. The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is refered to in her role as carer of the sick. The origin of referring to Mary as "Health of the Sick" first appeares in the Bible with Mary's care of the dying St. Joseph.
The itinerary is from Casa Hermandad, turn left along calle Jesús Cautivo, one block along calle de la Terraza, left into calle Granada, calle Calvario, calle Jesús y María, calle Blas Ortega, calle Sevilla, calle Pozo Pila, calle África, Avenida San Lorenzo, calle Real, calle de la Terraza, passed the Tribune stand before turning left back into calle Jesús Cautivo and the Casa Hermandad.
Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday) – Cristo del Amor and Virgen de la Esperanza
 Semana Santa Thursday – Cristo del Amor (right) and Virgen de la Esperanza (left) |
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Procession of the Cristo de Amor paso and La Virgen de la Esperanza paso.
The brotherhood is the ‘Hermandad de Nazarenos de la Triunfal Entrada en Jerusalén, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, Santísimo Cristo del Amor, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza y María Inmaculada’.
This two float (paso) procession leaves from the from the Iglesia del Carmen church in Huerta Nueva, the western district of Estepona at 20.30. it arrives at the brotherhood’s chapel in the old town about 01.30 hrs.
The first float in the procession is Cristo del Amor, a representation of Christ wearing a black robe carrying the cross. The second float is the Virgen de la Esperanza (Lady of hope) with long dark robe under a canopy and iluminated from the front by rows of candles. Both carvings were made by the Sevillian sculptor Juan Bernabé Britto in 1982 and 1984 respectively. This is a large procession including about 200 Nazarenes and 60 Manolas the mourning ladies wearing black mantillas (formal head dress) black hair comb to tie up long hair, black dress and stockings and often carrying black rosary beads. In this procession the floats are carried by the costaleros in the 'Seville style' (ie. underneath the float rather than on long beams extending infront and behind).
The itinerary is from Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen, calle Padre Fernando, calle Manuel Navarro Mollor, calle Carlos Cano, Avenida Padre Cura, calle África, Avenida San Lorenzo, calle Real, calle de la Terraza, calle Hermanos Costaleros, Pasaje Cristo del Amor and into the Casa Hermandad.
Musical accompaniment is by the Estepona Municipal band and an invited band.
Viernes Santo (Good Friday) - La Real y Antigua Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo de la Veracruz
This is the procession of the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Santo Sudario de la Hermandad de la Veracruz, Santo Entierro de Jesús, Soledad de María and San Juan Evangelista pasos.
The brotherhood is La Real y Antigua Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo de la Veracruz or Veracruz for short.
This five float procession leaves from the church Iglesia ‘Santa María de los Remedios in Plaza San Francisco on the old town of Estepona at 20.30 and returns their at about 02.00. It is unusual for there to be as many as five floats, the reason being that the last three floats had some years before formed a procession on Easter Saturday.
The itinerary is from Iglesia Santa María de los Remedios in Plaza San francisco, calle Blas Ortega, calle Sevilla, calle Pozo Pila, calle África, Avda. San Lorenzo, calle Real, calle Viento, calle Castillo, calle Santa Ana, calle Manzanares, calle Terraza, Official Tribune Grandstand (at 23.15 hrs), calle Papuecas, calle Jesús y María, calle Blas Ortega, Plaza de San Francisco and back to Iglesia Santa María de los Remedios.
The five floats in the procession are:
1) El Cristo de la Vera Cruz – Image of Jesus on the Cross by Antonio Castillo Lastrucci in 1939. The paso is acompanied by a brass band.
2) Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, - Image of the Virgin in sorrow by Antonio Castillo Lastrucci in 1940. The paso is acompanied by a brass band.
3) Santo Sudario – a smaller paso carried by Women members of the brotherhood lead by Leonor Navarro the Mayordoma. No musical accompaniment. The outer bearers strike the path with their long batons to make the timing beat. The ‘Santo Sudario’ (Holy Shroud) is represented on this float by cloth hanging from the cross without an image of Jesus.
4) Santo Entierro de Jesús - Image of Jesus lying in the tomb after the crucifixion by José Pérez Delgado in 1992. The float is preceded by a woodwind quartet.
5) Soledad de María and San Juan Evangelista – An image of the Virgin Mary in solitude with San Juan Evangelista alongside her by José Pérez Delgado in 2000. This paso is accompanied by a brass band.
Domingo de Resurrección – Procesión de Cristo Resucitado and Virgen de la Aurora
This procession is organised by the Agrupación de Cofradías of Estepona which is the association of the different brotherhoods of Estepona.
This single float procession that leaves from the Iglesia del Carmen in the western district of Estepona town called Huerta Nueva at 11.00 hrs and arrives at the Iglesia Santa María de los Remedios in Plaza San Francisco in the centre of the old town at 15.00.
The itinerary is from Iglesia del Carmen, calle Padre Fernando, calle Manuel Navarro Mollor, calle Carlos Cano, Avda. Padre Cura, calle África, Avda. San Lorenzo, calle Real, calle Viento, calle Castillo, calle Santa Ana, calle Manzanares, calle Terraza, calle Veracruz, calle Blas Ortega, Plaza de San Francisco, Iglesia Santa María de los Remedios.
The single float in the procession is an image of Jesus resurrected next to the Virgen de la Aurara (Lady of the Dawn). The float is preceded by representatives from all the Estepona brotherhoods, first jounger members and then the senior members.
The paso is accompanied by Estepona town brass band.