On normal Saturday afternoons old madrileñas stroll arm in arm down the street clad in their finest fur coats. It’s up to you to weave through them to get where you need to go. But on Sabado Santo they push you out of the way.
Never have I seen such sweet-looking old women turn so fierce. I got many an elbow to the ribs as those women crossed themselves in front of the statue of “Jesusito”. (Spaniards add “ito” or “ita” to the end of words as a term of endearment, kind of like we’d change “Jim” to “Jimmy”.) But I guess that’s the spirit of Holy Week.
It didn’t rain yesterday, so the Holy Saturday processions continued as normal. And those old women pushed their way up as close as they could. Good thing that at 5’7” I tower 4 inches over the average Spanish woman.
Although I had to stand my ground to keep me spot, the processions were certainly something.
The procession began at the Real Iglesia de San Ginés in Sol. After leaving the church, only the back of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad with her veil that dates back to the 18th century is visible.
I ran through the winding streets of Sol to find the beginning of the procession.
The story of the processions begins in 1521 when Spanish noble Marqués de Tarifa returned to Spain from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He instigated the celebration of Vía Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, with a small procession. Over the years, altars and statues grew in number and magnificence, and that evolved into the floats and processions we have today.
The procession begins with the guiding cross, the Cruz de Guía. Women wear La Mantilla, or a black lace mantel on the back of the head. They carry bibles or rosaries.
Nazarenos, or Nazarenes, clad in habits with pointy capirotes, or hoods, hold candles. In this case the candels were battery-powered. Diputados de tramo, also wearing the habit and capirote, keep the procession in line and in step. This Nazareno carries a crown of thorns.
Acólitos, or acolytes, burn incense. Then comes a large brass band with musicians of all ages. This little drummer was especially cute.
Other Nazarenos follow with drums.
The beat is so powerful it sounds like roaring thunder echoing off city buildings.
Then come the elaborate pasos, or floats, of Jesus and Mary. They’re carved mostly of wood and garnished with gold, and precious gems.
One carries three nails, symbolic of the Crucified Christ.
The Nazarenos sway to the beat of the drums as they carry the paso of Jesus on their shoulders.
Flowers also decorate the pasos.
Jesus is followed by Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. Tears can be seen on her face.
It’s one of the most ornate statues I’ve ever seen.
The procession passes by Madrid’s Palacio Real, the Royal Palace.
The red capirotes peak out over the mass of people watching the procession. (Yes, the hoods bear a striking resemblance to the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan, but the Spaniards had them first.) The procession ends at the Cathedral of the Almudena next to the Palacio Real. Although the largest and most elaborate processions are in Sevilla and Málaga, Madrid’s didn’t fall short of spectacular. If you’re in the mood for an astounding cultural experience and can put up with feisty old ladies, check out the Semana Santa processions next year!
