Granada, amidst palms and olive trees, dresses up on Palm Sunday to wake up with the first drum roll and welcome the eight significant days of Passion, Death and Resurrection that remain. Holy Week in Granada has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest.
Spectacular, exceptional and exciting is the night of Holy Wednesday in Granada which is painted in shades of purple, red and gold. The procession is made up of two floats, El Cristo del Consuelo and María Santísima del Sacromonte.
In the hills of Sacromonte, as the Christ of the Gypsies passes by, huge bonfires are lit among the caves”, the homes and dwellings of the gypsies, where the “zambras”, full of “duende”, take place.
The night of Maundy Thursday is the magical night of the Albaycín. In almost the same space it is possible to find the popular flavour of the three Virgins of the Quarter: the Virgen de la Concha, the Estrella and the Aurora, while the procession of the Cristo del Silencio makes the spectator an absolute accomplice with its drum roll, keeping a respectful and chilling silence.
After midnight, the Albaycín becomes a reliquary of images among the narrow streets that give it a special colour and smell.
On Good Friday, thousands of people from Granada form a “mantle” that leaves no space as they pray and make the three petitions.
On Good Friday at nightfall, a singular and thrilling act takes place in the Convent of Los Jerónimos. The “Las Chías” are characters who held positions in the old Inquisition and who appear dressed in feathers and embroidery, playing fanfares and timpani as they lead the procession of the oldest of the brotherhoods, that of the Soledad de San Jerónimo.
The procession is spectacular with pointed hoods of intense yellow, squadron and troop of Roman soldiers striking the ground with their lances. There are also living characters representing the three Marys, the Virgin, St. Joseph, Joseph Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, who carried Jesus to the tomb.
