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Semana Santa (Holy Week)

History

The Semana Santa (Holy Week), like any other religious, cultural and sociological event, is in no means an ephemeral occurrence.

Below find a brief historic summary up until the present.

The background of street processions resulted from the institutionalization of the Vía Crucis (Way of the Cross), which was introduced in 1521 by the Marqués de Tarifa (Marquis Don Fadrique Enríques de Ribera) upon returning from the Holy Land.

From that date onwards it is tradition to celebrate annually this holy day, the different stages are divided by using portable Crosses and Altars.

Legislation emanated from the Council of Trent along with the prohibition of certain passional ceremonies, fostering the regulation that surpressed the proliferation of acts and solemn gatherings of that period.

In 1604 guidelines were set to secure greater vigilance , something which obliged all processions to follow a determined route: processions from Seville would pass by the Cathedral, while those departing from the Triana neighborhood, through Santana Plaza.

From the 17th C onwards the cofradías (Lay Brotherhoods) began to resemble the present model, until then grouped according to guilds, social class or racial minorities residing in the city (Golden Age).

During the 18th C due to social conflicts, the cofradías experienced minor declines of action, which was later resolved by introducing new social elements such as the first groups of lay brotherhood organizations in specific neighborhoods.

In the 19th C and with the expressed interest of the Dukes of Montpensier, the cofradías began to receive more support. This created a domino effect as groups of bourgeois and merchants began to get involved for the first time.

During this period the Holy Week in Seville reflected the ongoing transformation of Spain's history (social turmoil, confrontations, the Civil War).

In the second half of the century the present model of Holy Week was crystalized, offering a universally recognized manifestation, a complex popular celebration which unites devotion and an aesthetic outlook.

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