Viernes Santo, Holy Friday or Good Friday as we are more likely to call it, is a big one in the
Semana Santa calendar. With its importance in the Christian, and more especially Catholic here in Spain, beliefs the procession here take on extra peninance to show their faith.
It's big, firstly, in that there are three processions this night. And all three are what we would call 'in our hood' or
en nuestro barrio as the locals might say. Secondly and what the
Antequeranos really look forward to, is two of the processions finish their route by running the
tronos up hills. A sensational effect.
I'm going to present the three processions in an order relating to where we live, and therefore our 'involvement'.
Firstly, the
Cofradía de la Soledad, from
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. This church is not so far from where we live (well fairly close really, as nothing is too far in Antequera) on the less direct route to town - the way we sometimes go if we want something different, to take in a view of
La Peña.
The next two are real locals. If you take the direct route from our place to town it is up and over a hill, and it would stretch it to be half a kilometre to
Plaza San Sebastián. From home it´s 150 metres at a stretch to
Plaza Portichuelo, and the
Iglesia de Jesús (home to
Cofradía Arriba -meaning above or top). 200metres down the hill, and perhaps 100metres up from
San Sebastián is the
Basilica de Santo Domingo, where
Cofradía Bajo - below, is housed.
Both these processions attract huge crowds, at 1:00 -2:00am, when at the completion of their processions, the
tronos are run back up to their respective churches.
Cofradía Bajo runs the 100metres non-stop up from up the sharp
Cuesta la Paz back to the Basilica. It's a nasty little climb to have to shoulder the
trono and run jammed up against the person in front also carrying. It's bad enough carrying our shopping home!
The
tronos carriers of
Cofradía Bajo get a rousing applause at the start of their procession as they take the tronos straight from the church and immediately up some steep stairs to a road the
Cofradía Arriba will run up later. As a result
Cofradía Arriba takes a longer, zig-zag path home to the top. They are not going to be up to run Cuesta la Paz and the stairs!
Cofradía Arriba runs a first leg, quite steep but worse to come, from
San Sebastián up
Cuesta de Zapateros (I should remind you
Cuesta means a steep
Calle - street. We, for example, live in
Cuesta Real.) They have to take a break there as it is a 90 degree turn in a very narrow street. Always a tactical move for the tronos. Then another 150 meters of uphill but much more gentle Calle Viento, where they take a break on the corner at the top of the steps from the Basilica before the last big push, the 200 metres steep uphill up
Calle Caldereros back to
Plaza Portichuelo. These are amazing scenes to witness.
What's amazing is that all the teenagers of Antequera treat it like their running of the bulls, and this screaming mass preceeds the grunting, huffing, groaning
trono carriers. Crowds, including ourselves, pin themselves to the walls to avoid the mayhem. Paramedics also line up at 10 metre intervals - for crushed spectators and collapsed
trono carriers.
Anyway. Onto the processions.
Cofradía de la Soledad, from
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen:
There are two
tronos carried in this procession. Firstly,
Santo Entierro de Cristo.
And the second is yet another beautiful Virgin
trono:
Virgen de la Soledad.
And as is the norm for the Virgin
trono, she is depicted weeping.
The two
tronos assemble back at
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen before being taken back into the church. This is a routine completed at the end of each procession. But seeing as it was fairly close to home, we saw it this time. Also, we were killing some time before heading off to watch the other two processions run up the hills. It was pretty quiet here, most people are back at the steep steets awaiting.
The expressions say it all. It is a long night, and these guys have carried the
trono for hours. It has to be heavy. And progress is made by not much more than shuffling.
But, being local we got to see preparations for the
Cofradás Arriba y Bajo taking place. These next few photos show preparations, pre-event parties, and people either making their way up or down to
Basilica de Santo Domingo, for the
Cofradía Bajo procession.
Last minute adjustments: everything has to be just right.
A couple of quick pre-event sherries no doubt.
A fine military band leads the way for the
Cofradía Bajo procession.
Followed by crucifix and standard carriers.
Trono de Cofradía Bajo, Niño Jesús Perdido (the lost child Jesus)
Dulce Nombre de Jesús: Sweet name of Jesus
Santo Criso de la Buena Muerte y de la Paz: Holy Christ of the great death and peace.
And this is
Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Paz Coronada. Our Lady, the Virgin of the crowned peace. (These have been my literal translations, without knowing how they might be more correctly translated by a practising Catholic.)
This is the mad rush that is the running of the
trono up
Cuesta de la Paz.
Attendants hurry along the kids running in front. Notice the guy in front using a long staff to 'assist' with shunting people along. A paramedic is seen on the other side of the street.
We got to 'party' a little before the start of the
Cofradía Arriba procession. My bro, BOK and Sally and the boys Reece and Aidan were visiting for Easter.
Plaza Portichuelo, as I have told before, is home of the 'shithole' -
Bar Socorrillo and the troops of
El Rgimiento de Infanteria Ligera Regulares número 52 de Melilla (phew!) that would be escorting the
tronos of
Cofradía Arriba had made it home. And they were in a great mood. They demanded photos betaken of them, and with us. They were a great lot.
With bro, BOK, and one of the
Regulares, and a round of Cruzcampo cerveza.
Deb was snaffled, a fez-like cap stuck on her head and for the first time ever she held a real gun.
Sally, Reece and Aidan entertained by another of the
Regulares.
Cofradía Arriba, not to be out done, has its hooded devotees.
Jesús Nazareno Ayudado por el Cirineo: Jesus of Nazareth helped for the (something?)
El Rgimiento de Infanteria Ligera Regulares número 52 de Melilla may have rarked around at Plaza Portichuelo, but for the next five hours they didn't flinch. That is until they got the chance to herd teenagers running in front of the tronos.
Santa Cruz de Jerusalén: Holy Cross of Jerusalem.
Nuestra Señora la Vigen del Socorro Coronada: Our Lady, the Virgin of Crowned Help.
The trono, Nuestra Señora la Vigen del Socorro Coronada, takes a break during running up the last hill of the night - up the last hill, Calle Caldereros. When they take off, the Regular puts his gun horizontally in front of him and just pushes as he runs flat out. The kids get of of his way pretty quickly.
The trono has made it back to Plaza Portichuelo, and rests before being put back into Iglesia de Jesús. The Regulares are already in the shithole, Bar Socorrillo, onto their second round of Cruzcampo. They have deserved it.
A big night.
Mad
aka Max
We walked around our usual haunts. The boys love our back garden. But they were particularly pleased when I showed them a way we could climb behind a wire fence, and then up onto the castle/alcazar wall. After walking along we could look down into our back garden and call and wave to their mum, Sal, and Deb.
