ARCHIVED - March 31 to April 9 Semana Santa 2023 in Cieza, a celebration of National Tourist Interest

Religion meets spectacle in Cieza as Roman legions march alongside biblical tableaux

Cieza has an important religious heritage of historic monuments and buildings and there is a long history behind its major Semana Santa celebrations.

The Semana Santa celebrations in Cieza date back more than 450 years and have been declared of National Tourist Interest, placing them among the most important in the Region of Murcia. They are especially remowned for their "pasos" (sculpted figures and tableaux), the colourful tunics of the 18 Cofradias (brotherhoods) and the processions of the “Armaos” (Roman soldiers), glittering with armour and weaponry.

Among the numerous processions during the week, those attracting most visitors are the “Prendimiento” on the Tuesday, the Procesión del Descenso de Cristo a los Infiernos (the Descent of Christ into Hell) in the early hours of Easter Saturday and the “Cortesía” followed by the parade of Resurrection on Easter Sunday, a burst of joyful celebration at the end of the week.

The origins of Semana Santa in Cieza date back to the 15^th century and are linked to both the Dominicans and the preaching of San Vicente Ferrer. San Vicente travelled and preached, accompanied by penitents who whipped themselves publicly while others provided dramatic lighting with large torches, guaranteeing drama in an era when punishment and penitence were part of the power of the church. The Dominicans founded the Hermanos de la Sangre o Penitentes, while the preaching of San Vicente and his followers are the origin of the Hermanos de la Luz, currently known as the Tercio de Nazarenos.

Over the centuries, the Penitentes lessened the degree of penitence from whipping and self-abasement to the carrying of crosses while barefoot in the processions. In the same way, the Tercio de Nazarenos and the Tercio de Penitentes merged to form just one Tercio.

The Cofradías of the Sangre de Cristo and the Dulce y Santísimo Nombre de Jesús were formed in the 15^th century, and in following centuries the Franciscanos brought a new impulse to Holy Week with new Cofradias, the Cruz and the Santísimo Sacramento, as well as the consolidation of 3 processions: Señor Padre Jesús and those on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

In the 18^th century more Cofradías were created and the existing ones grew through the guilds which were able to evade tax through their status. However, this tax relief was not permitted for long, and later the proliferation of was reduced as they merged into just 5: Jesús, Soledad, Dolorosa, Santísimo Sacramento and Ánimas.

Factors such as the War of Independence, cholera epidemics and the suppression of religious orders were among the reasons for the decline of Holy Week in the 19^th century, and it was left to local families to protect the possessions of the Cofradias by creating Camarerías and Mayordomías. The procession of the Prendimiento on Easter Tuesday began in this century along with the Cortesia on Resurrection Sunday. This is one of the most notable moments of the week, when the letting of the figures of Jesus and Mary takes place, the bearers kneeling down so the two statues can acknowledge each other, followed by the joyous “Baile de los Santos”, when the two statues dance in the joy of the Resurrection.

The Spanish Civil War was a time of great hardship across Spain, and in Cieza, as in many other locations, the wealth and heritage of the brotherhoods suffered severe setbacks. It was not until after the war that the Cofradías managed to begin a comeback, slowly rebuilding and reorganizing their numbers.

Today, there are 18 Cofradias in Cieza, with 10 processions.

Semana Santa in Cieza 2023 (main events only)

Friday March 31, Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows)

22.00: Transfer of the figure of the Santísima Virgen de los Dolores from the Convento de San Joaquín to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

Route: Esquina del Convento, Paseo, Santa Ana, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo, Plaza Mayor

00.00 midnight: Transfer of the figure of the Santísimo Cristo de la Misericordia from the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción to the Casa de los Santos.

Route: Basílica de Ntra. Sra. de la Asunción, Plaza Mayor, Hoz, Barco, S. Bartolomé, Placeta del Santo, La Parra, Plaza del Comisa-rio, Rincón de los Pinos, Bartolo Lopo, Desamparados, Cabezo, Nueva, Esquina del Cantón, Buitragos, Empedrá, Barco and Cánovas del Castillo.

Saturday April 1, the eve of Palm Sunday

22.00: Transfer of the Cristo del Perdón from the Convento de San Joaquín to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

Route: Esquina del Convento, San Sebastián, Buitragos, Cánovas del Castillo, Barco, La Hoz and Plaza Mayor.

Sunday April 2, Palm Sunday

10.00: Holy Mass and the blessing of the palms at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

11.00: Procession of the palms, leaving from Plaza Mayor and celebrating the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Route: Plaza Mayor, San Pedro, Cánovas del Castillo, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Paseo, Salvador Seguí, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo, San Pedro, Plaza Mayor and Cartas.

18.00: Transfer of the figure of Cristo del Consuelo from his church to the Plaza Mayor.

Route: Bajada de la Ermita, Gran Vía, Camino de Madrid, Cadenas, Barco, Cánovas del Castillo, San Pedro and Plaza Mayor.

Monday April 3, Holy Monday

21.30: Via Crucis – Procession of Cristo de la Sangre

Route: Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Mesones, Cadenas, Barco, La Hoz, Plaza Mayor.

Paso: Santísimo Cristo de la Sangre (Hermandad de Santa María Magdalena).

Tuesday April 4, Holy Tuesday

21.00: Representation of the taking of Christ (in Plaza Mayor) and subsequent procession of the “Prendimiento”, traditions which are rooted in the 18^th century.

Pasos: Santa Cena, La Oración del Huerto, El Prendimiento, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno and Tercio Romano del Santo Sepulcro.

Route: Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Plaza del Comisario, Rincón de los Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Con-vento, Mesones, Cadenas, Barco, Cánovas del Castillo / Diego Tortosa, San Pedro and Plaza Mayor.

Wednesday April 5, Holy Wednesday

17.30: Children’s parade of the Tercios Infantiles (children’s soldiers parade).

Route: Cánovas del Castillo, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Paseo, Santa Ana, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo.

18.30 Transfer of the figure of San Juan to the Basílica, accompanied by the Tercio Infantil.

Route: Hontana, Esquina del Convento, Paseo, Esquina del Convento, San Sebastián, Buitragos, Cánovas del Castillo, San Pedro and Plaza Mayor.

19.00: Transfer of the figure of Mary Magdalene to the Semana Santa Casa-Museo, again accompanied by the Tercio Infantil.

21.00: The main Wednesday procession (first held in the 19th century), featuring an array of sculpted figures and tableaux: La Samaritana, La Unción de Jesús en Betania, El Prendimiento, Tercio Romano del Santo Sepulcro, La Flagelación, La Coronación de Espinas, Ecce Homo, Santa Verónica, Santísimo Cristo del Perdón, Santa María Magdalena, Santísimo Cristo del Consuelo and Santísima Virgen de los Dolores.

Route: Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Paseo, General Ruíz, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo y/o San Pedro, Plaza Mayor.

Thursday April 6, Maundy Thursday

18.30: Holy Mass in the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

20.30: Procesión de los Hijos de María (first held 1976), including the sculpted figure of Nuestra Señora de Gracia y Esperanza.

Route: Diego Tortosa, San Pedro, Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Mesones, Cadenas, Barco, Diego Tortosa.

00.00 midnight: The spectacle of the procession in silence (first held 1931), featuring the sculpted figure of the Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía.

Route: Capilla del Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía, Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Mesones, Cadenas, Barco, Hoz, Plaza Mayor, Capilla del Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía.

Friday April 15, Good Friday

9.30: Procession of penitence (first held in the 16th century), featuring the sculpted tableaux representing La Sentencia de Jesús, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, the Roman soldiers of the Santo Sepulcro, the meeting of Jesus and Mary in Calle de la Amargura, La Caída, Santa Verónica, Jesus on Calvary, Santísimo Cristo de la Expiración, La Lanzada, Santa María Magdalena, Santísimo Cristo del Consuelo and Santísima Virgen de los Dolores.

Route: Plaza Mayor, San Pedro, Cánovas del Castillo, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Paseo (left side), Salvador Segui, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cáno-vas del Castillo, San Pedro, Plaza Mayor and Cartas.

18.00: Holy Mass in the Basílica de la Asunción to celebrate the passion and death of the Lord.

18.30: Transfer of the figure of the Santo Sepulcro to the Casa Museo of the Cofradía.

Route: Calderón de la Barca, Gran Vía, Ello, Paseo, Mesones, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo, Cartas.

20.30: Procesión del Santo Entierro, the procession of the Holy Sepulchre, dating back to the 16^th century.

Pasos: Santísimo Cristo del Perdón, Descendimiento de Cristo, Santísima Virgen de la Piedad, Santísimo Cristo Yacente y Virgen del Dolor, Nuestra Señora de la Amargura, Las Santas Mujeres camino del Sepulcro, Santa María Salomé, Santa Cruz, José de Arimatea, El Santo Sepulcro, Tercio Romano del Santo Sepulcro, San Juan, María Santísima de la Soledad.

Route: Plaza Mayor, Cid, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, San Sebastián, Esquina del Convento, Paseo, General Ruíz, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo, Cánovas del Castillo and/or San Pedro, Plaza Mayor.

Saturday April 16, Easter Saturday

3.00: The early morning Procesión del Descenso de Cristo a los Infiernos (Descent of Christ into Hell, first held in 2001).

Paso: Jesús abriendo las puertas de los Infiernos (Jesus opening the gates of Hell)

Route: Plaza Mayor, Hoz, Bajada al Río, Subida del Río, Plaza del Comisario, Rincón de los Pinos, Larga, Buitragos, Empedrá, Barco, Hoz, Plaza Mayor.

17.30: Parade of the children’s Roman soldier “tercios”.

22.00: Easter Vigil in the Basílica de la Asunción.

Sunday April 17, Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday

10.30: Musical parade in the streets.

10.45: Transfer of Mary Magdalene to the Casa de los Santos.

Route: Juego de Bolos, Mesones, Cadenas y Cánovas del Castillo.

10.45: Transfer of the Virgen del Amor Hermoso from the church of San Bartolomé to the procession route. Route: Plaza del Santo, La Parra, Rincón de los Pinos, Cartas.

11.00: Procesión del Resucitado, the Resurrection procession, which dates back to the 17th century.

Pasos: Ángel Triunfante, Jesús Resucitado, La Aparición de Jesús a María Magdalena, Santa María Magdalena, Santa María Salomé, Santa María de Cleofás, Los Discípulos de Emaús, La Ascensión, San Juan, Santísima Virgen del Amor Hermoso.

The “Cortesía” greeting takes place in the Plaza de la Esquina del Convento at 11.30. The Pasos enter the plaza in three groups and via three different routes: Ángel Triunfante, Jesús Resucitado, Aparición de Jesús a Santa María Magdalena (via the Paseo); Santa María Magdalena, Santa María Salomé, Santa María de Cleofás and La Ascensión (via calle Mesones); Discipulos de Emaús, San Juan and Santisima Virgen del Amor Hermoso (via calle San Sebastián).

Following the Cortesía, they join into a single procession and follow the route: Esquina del Convento, Paseo, Salvador Segui, Buen Suceso, Angostos, Tercia, Santo Cristo and Cánovas del Castillo.

Images: Junta de Hermandades Pasionarias de Cieza