Cartagena's Holy Week
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Semana Santa Semana Santa is the Spanish for Holy Week, the final week of Lent leading to Easter. In Spanish speaking cultures as well as Holy Week in the Philippines, the Philippines this becomes an annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by ...
in Cartagena are a series of parades in the period around
Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
They are unique for Holy Week processions in Spain due to their strict order along with other characteristics. The Spanish government declared it a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest in 2005.


Brotherhoods

The processions in Cartagena are organized by four brotherhoods. Every brotherhood is divided into smaller groups ("''agrupaciones''"), each in charge of one of the floats in the procession. Women have recently been brought into more roles but do not always wear the hood and robe. There are two main brotherhoods, the Californios and Marrajos, who have a strong rivalry which is seen as one of the reasons Cartagena maintains so many major parades. Unlike normal practice in Spain (and with the other two Cartagena groups) these two groups put on more than one parade in Holy Week.


Californios

The brotherhood of the Hour of Our Lord Jesus´ Arrest (known as "''Californios''") organises the processions that take place on the evening of Friday of Passion Week, on
Holy Tuesday Holy Tuesday or Great and Holy Tuesday (, ) (lit. 'Great Third (Day)', i.e., Great Tuesday), also known as Fig Tuesday, is a day of Holy Week, which precedes Easter. As with other days of Holy Week, this day is observed through the holding of c ...
and
Holy Wednesday In Christianity, Holy Wednesday commemorates the Bargain of Judas as a clandestine spy among the disciples. It is also called Spy Wednesday, or Good Wednesday (in Western Christianity), and Great and Holy Wednesday (in Eastern Christianity). In ...
and on
Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,The day is also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. is ...
. The colour of this brotherhood is red. They were founded in 1747, but in 1754 joined with a similar brotherhood in Madrid and adopted their symbols as well as the
Pontifical A pontifical () is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy Orders. While the ...
and Royal titles. After a difficult time in the early nineteenth century they experienced a revival with new members from the managers and owners from the mining boom in Cartagena. The name Californio either came from the recruitment of sailors who had been on an expedition to California or from the opulence of their floats which drew comparison with the wealth from the
California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
.


Marrajos

The brotherhood of Our Lord
Jesus of Nazareth Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religi ...
(known as ''Marrajos'') is in charge of the processions held on Holy Monday, on the early hours of
Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
, in the evening of Good Friday and on
Holy Saturday Holy Saturday (), also known as Great and Holy Saturday, Low Saturday, the Great Sabbath, Hallelujah Saturday, Saturday of the Glory, Easter Eve, Joyous Saturday, the Saturday of Light, Good Saturday, or Black Saturday, among other names, is t ...
. The colour of this brotherhood is purple. It is not known exactly when this group was formed but the Marrajos' tradition is that they were founded in the sixteenth century as a religious brotherhood of fishermen. The tradition is that name came from the sale one year of a
mako shark ''Isurus'' (meaning "equal tail") is a genus of mackerel sharks in the family Lamnidae, commonly known as the mako sharks. They are largely pelagic, and are fast, predatory fish capable of swimming at speeds of up to . Fossil history and evolu ...
(''marrajo'' in Spanish) to pay for their parade. The earliest documentary evidence is from 1641 when they obtained a chapel within the Dominican friary, a deep link that would last until the expulsion of the Order in 1835. which is now the . The Senior Brother was exiled from Spain for supporting the losing Hapsburg claimant in the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
. Despite the church of Saint Dominic being repurposed in 1880 as the base for the chaplaincy of the naval base the brotherhood hit challenging times, with them being unable to hold a procession in a few of the early years of the Twentieth Century although in 1917 the brotherhood instituted
Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...
as an honorary member.


Cofradía del Socorro

The penitential brotherhood of the Christ of Succour (Spanish: ''Ilustre Cofradía del Santísimo y Real Cristo del Socorro'') is an austerely penitential brotherhood. The original brotherhood was founded in 1691 by Pedro Manuel Colón de Portugal, at the time the admiral of the
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...
, as an aristocratic brotherhood after one of his sons had been miraculously cured two years earlier before a Black Christ statue of Christ Crucified—the Christ of Succour—which was venerated in the Cathedral of Cartagena and had been taken out in a rogation procession. In gratitude, the Duke founded the Illustrious Brotherhood of the Fellowship of Knights of the Most Holy Christ of Succour as a devotional confraternity. The brotherhood later discontinued. In the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
the old Cathedral was sacked by the
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
meaning that the original statue and its setting were destroyed. The brotherhood was refounded in 1961 in its current form as a more austere brotherhood with the purpose of leading the via crucis. They lead the prayer of the
Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...
(''via crucis'') around the city staying at 3.30 in the morning of the
Friday of Sorrows The Friday of Sorrows or Passion Friday is a solemn pious remembrance of the sorrowful Blessed Virgin Mary on the Friday before Palm Sunday held in the fifth week of Lent (formerly called "Passion Week"). In the Anglican Ordinariate's Divine Wors ...
in
Passion Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday ( Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the com ...
(the Friday before Good Friday). This is when the festivity of the Patron Saint of the city,
Our Lady of Charity Our Lady of Charity () is a celebrated Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in many Catholic countries. Various namesake images are found in Cuba, France, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Malta, Spain and the United States of America. ...
, takes place. This is the first Holy Week parade in Spain. The colour of this brotherhood is black.


Resucitados

The brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus Resurrected (known as ''Resucitados'') organises the procession on the morning of
Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
. The colour of this brotherhood is white. They originally started in 1941 as a section of the Marrajos brotherhood to commemorate Christ's
resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
, but became a separate brotherhood in 1943. The parade has ten floats that tell different parts of the Easter story. Instead of incense used in the other three processions bells are used.


The Parades

Each float is preceded at the front by a richly embroidered standard ("''estandarte''"), carried by three members of the group and followed by two symmetrical lines of members, who march and stop in unison to the beat of drums. When they stop, they all remain absolutely still and in total silence. Their military-like discipline may have earned their nickname of "''tercio''", a word which broadly means "regiment". At the rear of the "''tercio''" a concert band and the drummers follow, and then the ''trono'' made of artistically carved gilded or painted wood. Some of these floats move on wheels whereas others are carried on the shoulders of hundreds of "''portapasos''" (or float-carriers), who also march to the rhythmic beat of the drums. Most of the processions are in the evening, or in the day time in holidays, but on the Friday before holy week one of the traditional processions starts at 3.30 AM and goes on to 6. The majority of parades start at the Church of Our Lady of Grace.


Clothing

The members of the group are all clad in the same colours. The men in the floats wear a robe, a sash around the waist, a cloak, a high pointed hood to cover their heads and faces, and sandals.


Floats

"Cartagena style floats" are the name given in other towns to multi-level flats with electric lights, introduced by the Californios and made possible through the money from the region's mining boom at the end of the nineteenth century. On the top of the float visitors to Cartagena can see the processional images, polychrome wooden sculptures which are displayed either separately or in groups. The images include works by classic artists such as
Francisco Salzillo Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz (12 May 1707 – 2 March 1783Malgares Guerrero, José Antonio. XXII Jornadas de Patrimonio Cultural de la Región de Murcia (Spanish). 2011, p. 418. ) was a Spanish sculptor. He is the most representative Spanish ...
, , ,
Mariano Benlliure Mariano Benlliure y Gil (8 September 18629 November 1947) was a Spanish sculptor and medallist, who executed many public monuments and religious sculptures in Spain, working in a heroic realist style. Life and works He was born in the Lower S ...
, or Federico Coullaut-Valera as well as others by contemporary sculptors. Unlike in other cities, in Cartagena the order of the floats in the procession follows the chronological order of the events narrated in the Gospels. The images are surrounded by "''cartelas''", a kind of electric candelabra or sometimes a sort of upside-down chandeliers, fixed to the float and decorated with colourful and intricate floral arrangements.


Piquetes

Also unique in Cartagena are the infantry companies ("''piquetes''") at the rear of the main processions, escorting the float of the Virgin Mary which, under popular Marian advocations such as
Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...
or
Our Lady of Solitude Our Lady of Solitude (; ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus and a special form of Marian devotion practised in Spanish-speaking countries to commemorate the solitude of Mary on Holy Saturday. Variant names include ''Nuestra Señora de la Sol ...
, usually close the procession.


Naval Involvement

Given its role as the historical home of the
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...
, every year on Holy Tuesday the
Spanish Navy Marines The Marine Infantry () are the marines of the Spanish Navy. Responsible for conducting amphibious warfare. Fully integrated into the Spanish Navy's structure, the branch's history dates back to 1537 when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor formed the ...
send a delegation to the procession on that day.


References

{{Authority control Cartagena Cartagena, Spain Catholicism in Murcia Festivals in Murcia (region)