SEMANA SANTA (Holy Week)

Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Cordoba

The Semana Santa (Holy Week) of Cordoba is the public manifestation of the faith of a people. The cofrade phenomenon is a polyhedral reality in which all kinds of factors are combined -cultural, artistic, historical, musical, anthropological, etcetera - that have no reason to exist without the celebration of the mysteries of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All this world is articulated around the brotherhoods, which are associations of the faithful that, although similar at a certain distance, each one of them responds to some origins and a very different personality. There are brotherhoods with centuries of history that were founded to respond to the social needs of specific neighborhoods or professional collectives. Others have been articulated on the devotion of images or, simply, by the necessity of a temple counts on a parish.

For those who come for the first time to attend the Semana Santa (Holy Week) of Cordoba is the public manifestation of the faith of a people. The cofrade phenomenon is a polyhedral reality in which all kinds of factors are combined -cultural, artistic, historical, musical, anthropological, etcetera - that have no reason to exist without the celebration of the mysteries of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All this world is articulated around the brotherhoods, which are associations of the faithful that, although similar at a certain distance, each one of them responds to some origins and a very different personality. There are brotherhoods with centuries of history that were founded to respond to the social needs of specific neighborhoods or professional collectives. Others have been articulated on the devotion of images or, simply, by the necessity of a temple counts on a parish.

The guilds are groups that include the entire population; in their ranks there are people of all ages and all social conditions. For this reason, the entire city participates every year in this celebration. The people of Cordoba show off their Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the residents of each neighbourhood consider their brotherhood as a small embassy that strolls through the capital.

Another of the fundamental characteristics of this religious celebration is that a large part of it takes place in the Historical Centre of Cordoba, a part of which has been declared a World Heritage Site. If the city itself is a tourist attraction of the first order at any time of the year, Easter acquires a special dimension by recreating a visual spectacle of great quality in front of its most outstanding monuments

The Official Career

This is the route that the brotherhoods must follow consecutively every day of Semana Santa (Holy Week). Its layout has been modified with the passage of time and currently comprises only one street and one square: Claudio Marcelo and Las Tendillas. In both spaces there are boxes and chairs so that you can comfortably contemplate the processions in exchange for a price fixed annually by the Association of Brotherhoods.

Box of authorities
Although this tour is not the most beautiful for any of the brotherhoods, it is where they are contemplated by a greater number of people. In addition, it is the point where the local television networks are established to carry out their retransmissions.

Control of schedules
The Agrupación de Cofradías takes advantage of the official race to control the schedules of the brotherhoods. This matter is of special importance, since a delay not only harms the spectators, but also other brotherhoods can be affected, as well as causing alternations to the traffic.

If, finally, you decide to see the processions in the official race, go to one of the ticket vendors who will inform you of the free chairs, as getting a box is a more difficult task.