Holy Week in Tordesillas was declared of Regional Tourist Interest in 1996. Streets turn into authentic museums for those days. Well-known authors’ sculptures sleeping inside their temples get life back and approach spectators at this time.
Origin
Probably, processions were already celebrated before 1345, since the sepulchre order, which was in charge of an image of a Christ lying inside a sepulchre, is already documented at that year. The Holy True Cross Confraternity is mentioned at about 1400.
However, from the moment San Vicente Ferrer preached to Jews in Tordesillas on, Holy Week confraternities, as we know them today, arise. They take charge of carrying the images of Christ\'s Passion, Death and Resurrection in the procession.
Don\'t Miss
Among the processions celebrated in Tordesillas daily, it\'s worth stressing the Painful Meeting that take place at the Main Square, an incomparable framework for that, as well as Our Lord Jesus Christ\'s Passion on Holy Friday. Lots of images are carried in the procession and accompanied by their confraternities.
Confraternities
OUR LORD JESUS PRAYING IN THE OLIVE GROVE�
Foundation: 1976, it vanished and constituted again in 1990.
Clothing: The pointed hood and cassock are cream colour, green cloak, red linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: A chalice on top of a red cross. It is surrounded by two olive branches.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is green with great gildings, there can be observed float\'s images embroidered in the centre of it.
Float: \"OUR LORD JESUS PRAYING IN THE OLIVE GROVE\": He is on His knees and He accepts the chalice an angel offers him. Its author is unknown and it dates back to 1766, when Tomás Carro restored it. The image of the Christ is at San Pedro Church and the Angel at San Antolín Church Museum. The floats are carried in the procession on Holy Monday and Holy Friday.
THE FLAGELLATION
Foundation: 1976. It was organized definitely in 1999.
Clothing: Black cassock, red pointed hood, red cape, red linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: A column crossed by two whips and a crown of thorns on top.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is white and shows a coat of arms.
Float: \"Flagellation\". Our Lord Jesus Christ tied to the column and three members of a confraternity wearing a long tunic. It is at San Pedro Church and carried in the procession on Holy Monday and Holy Friday.
OUR LORD JESUS THE NAZARENE
Foundation: 1972.
Clothing: purple cassock, white pointed hood, white cape, yellow linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: It shows a crown of thorns on white bottom. \"J.H.S.\" is embroidered inside of it.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is purple. The confraternity coat of arms is embroidered on one of them and the other one has the village coat of arms.
FLOAT \"OUR LORD JESUS THE NAZARENE\": He takes the cross; Simón Cirineo helps him taking the cross on His way to Calvary. The image was made by Felipe de Espinabete in 1768 and 1997 is the year in which it went through a complete restoration. It is at San Pedro Church and is carried in the procession on Wednesday, Thursday and Holy Friday.
FLOAT \"ECCE HOMO\": It is a bust which is dressed with a maroon cape. This image is an anonymous sculpture that dates back to the XVIIIth century and was restored in 1996. The first time it is carried in the procession is 1995. It is at San Antolín Church Museum and, on Holy Friday, the image accompanies its confraternity in the procession.
OUR LORD CHRIST OF FORGIVENESS
Foundation: 1973
Clothing: Dark grey cassock, light grey cape, black pointed hood, yellow linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: Silver cross inside a black rhombus
Linen placed on the chalice: It is black. Silver strips and the confraternity coat of arms can be observed on it.
Float: \"Our Lord Christ of Forgiveness\". He is stripped on His clothing and is kneeled down at the top of a crag. This is a sculpture that dates back to the XVIIIth century. It is attributed to Fernando de Espinabete. The image went through restorations twice: in 1978 and 1993. The float is at San Antolín Church and is carried in the procession on Tuesday, Thursday and Holy Friday.
Float: OUR LADY OF CHARITY. It is an image to dress whose author is Pedro Crespo (Tordesillas) in 1961. She is appointed the confraternities\' Patron Saint in 1988. The image can be contemplated at San Pedro Church and is carried in the procession on Holy Friday.
OUR LORD CHRIST OF MERCY
Foundation: 1994
Clothing: Black cassock, white pointed hood, white cape, yellow linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: Christ\'s head silhouette on a cross.
Linen placed on the chalice: it is known neither the author nor the year in which this sculpture was made. The image is at Santa María Church and is carried in the procession on Thursday and Holy Friday.
FIRST WORD
Foundation: 1960
Clothing: Cream-coloured cassock, red pointed hood, cream-coloured cape, red linen cord with a tassel on each enc, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: Eight-point red star and a blue “Lis� cross inside.
Linen placed on the chalice It is cream-coloured with a badge.
Float: “FIRST WORD� Our Lord Jesus and two thieves. Pedro Crespo Miguel (Tordesillas) made the image in 1960. The sculpture is at San Pedro Church. It is the dominant element at the Seven Words’ Sermon which takes place on Holy Friday and the image is carried in the procession the same day.
THIRD WORD
Foundation: 1969
Clothing: lilac cassock, lilac pointed hood, white cape, purple linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves, black shoes.
Badge: two inverted triangles that constitute a golden star and a cross inside.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is lilac and also has a badge.
Float: \"THIRD WORD\". The image of the Calvary is made in the XVIth century. The Virgin and San Juan sculptures are attributed to Inocencio Berruguete and the image of the Christ to Francisco del Rincón. The float is at San Antolín Church-Museum and is carried in the procession on Thursday and Holy Friday.
HOLY MARY OF SOLITUDE
Foundation: 1960
Clothing: The confraternity is constituted by women wearing a black dress, mantilla (a lightweight lace worn over the head and shoulders, often over a high comb) and a \"peineta\" ( a sort of curved comb used as an adornment to fix a hairstyle)
Badge: A heart surrounded by twelve silver stars.
Linen placed on the chalice It is black and shows the float\'s figure painted in oils.
Float: \"HOLY MARY OF SOLITUDE\". Sorrowful Virgin Mary under a canopy. Both the author and the year in which this sculpture was made are not known. The image was restored in 2002. It can be contemplated at Santa María Church and is carried in the procession on Wednesday and Holy Friday.
HOLY MARY OF ANGUISH
Foundation: 1583. At the same time, the confraternity\'s rule is approved.
Clothing: Black Castilian cape.
Badge: A heart went through by five knives.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is black, has golden fringes and the float is drawn in the middle.
Float: \"OUR LADY OF ANGUISH\". Sculpture of sacred image made by Adrian Álvarez in 1589. It was restored in 2002. The image is at the Anguish Hermitage and is carried in the procession on Tuesday and Holy Friday.
THE HOLY TRUE CROSS
Foundation: The confraternity\'s rule is approved in 1583. However, it existed already many years before.
Clothing: purple cassock, purple pointed hood, black cape, purple linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: A cross crossed by a spear and the sponge used to provide Christ with drink.
Linen placed on the chalice It is black, embroidered using golden thread.
Float: \"OUR LORD CHRIST OF BATTLES\". It represents the image of a Christ crucified whose author is not known. The sculpture was made in the XVIIIth century and restored in 1989. It was at the Hermitage of Battles which disappeared a long time ago, hence its name. Nowadays, the image is at San Pedro Church and is carried in the procession on Monday, Thursday and Holy Friday.
THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Foundation: 1524. The confraternity disappears before 1785. In 1975 it is organized again.
Clothing: White cassock, purple pointed hood, purple cape, yellow linen cord with a tassel on each end, black gloves and black shoes.
Badge: A golden crown of thorns and three black nails placed upon a red cross.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is purple; the badge is embroidered on it.
Float: \"HOLY SEPULCHRE\". Our Lord Christ Lying. This is an image that has jointed arms, is placed inside a wooden glass case built in a classicist style.
An unknown sculptor from Gregorio Fernández Scholl made the sculpture in the XVIIth century. It was restored in 2001 and can be observed at San Antolín Church-Museum. The float is carried in the procession on Holy Friday.
Float: \"OUR LORD CHRIST LYING\". It is not known exactly who the author of this image was. However, we know for certain he was a follower of Gregorio Fernandez work in the XVIIth century. This sculpture is at San Ántolín Church-Museum and is carried in the procession on Holy Friday from 1976 on.
HOLY CHRIST RESURRECTED
Foundation: 2004
Clothing: White cassock, blue garment that is placed over the clothes and covers the shoulders, blue linen cord with a tassel on each end, white gloves and black shoes.
Badge: brown cross and the confraternity\'s initials on a white bottom.
Linen placed on the chalice: It is blue and shows the badge.
Float: \"HOLY CHRIST RESURRECTED\". It is known neither the author nor the year in which this sculpture was made. It was restored in 1992 because it was in a terrible state and the polychrome painting had been almost totally removed. Since it is a wooden sculpture, this material was infested with wood worm. It is at Santa María Church and is carried in the procession on Easter Sunday.
IMAGES WITHOUT A CONFRATERNITY
Float: \"CHRIST TRIUMPHAL ENTRY IN JERUSALEM\". The image was acquired by the Holy Week Local Board in 2003 and made by \"Arte Cristiano de Olot\". It is at San Pedro Church and is carried in the procession on Palm Sunday.
Holy Week Day by Day
PALM SUNDAY
Palms\' Procession takes place on Palm Sunday. It remembers Christ Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem on a small donkey\'s back. He carries a palm on His hand. The image \"Christ Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem\" is accompanied by representative members of confraternities.
EASTER MONDAY
\"Our Lord Christ of Battles\" was taken from the Hermitage of Battles that is disappeared to the village so that it was carried in the procession during Holy Week. The ermitage was destroyed because of dual carriageway\'s repairs carrying out and its junctions. However, tradition continues and \"Our Lord Christ of Battles\" is taken from its current location, San Pedro Church, to Santa María Church in the Holy Sorrow Rosary Procession. That evening, \"Our Lord Christ Praying in the Olive Grove\" and \"Flagellation\" travel the village\'s streets on \"Suffering and Humility\" Procession.
EASTER TUESDAY
The \"Penance and Charity\" Procession takes place at night. It starts its route at Anguish Hermitage. Our Lord Christ of Forgiveness and Our Lady of Anguish are carried in that procession.
EASTER WEDNESDAY
Nearly Easter Wednesday\'s midnight, the confraternities which accompany \"Our Lady of Loneliness\" start its route from Santa María Church and the image of Our Lord Jesus the Nazarene from San Pedro Church at the same time. Soon after, both of them meet at the Main Square. Undoubtedly, the Painful Meeting Procession is one of the most spectacular of Holy Week in Tordesillas.
EASTER THURSDAY
The procession, Our Lord Jesus walking to Calvary, that takes place on Easter Thursday, is constituted by Our Lord Jesus the Nazarene, Our Lord Christ of Forgiveness, Our Lord Christ of Mercy, Third Word and Our Lord Jesus of Battles. All the confraternities accompany the floats taking part in the procession.
HOLY FRIDAY
Christ’s Passion Procession set off its departure from Santa María Church. Fourteen images take part in the procession: Our Lord Jesus Praying in the Olive Grove, Flagellation, Ecce Homo, Our Lord Jesus the Nazarene, Our Lady of Charity, Holy Christ of Forgiveness, Holy Christ of Mercy, First word, Third Word, Holy Christ of Battles, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lord Jesus Lying, The Holy Sepulchre and Our Lady of Loneliness. Those images are carried in the procession by confraternities. Some members of them are the ones in charge of musical accompaniment which is made up of bugles and drums.
HOLY SATURDAY
Images are returned to their temples on Saturday. Our Lord Chirst of Forgiveness and Our Lady of Anguish are taken to their hermitage on the Fifth Anguish Procession.
EASTER SUNDAY
The Blessed Meeting of Our Lady of Joy and Our Lord Jesus Resurrected takes place at the Main Square.