Tuesday, Malaga Holy Week. Martes Santo en inglés
Málaga has six images the third big day.
Málaga
The holy week is one of the most important events in Spain. Tradition, faith and passion move millions of people from different places around the world. Last year, Malaga welcomed more than 6 millions of visitors because of this celebration.
Malaga city has more than 42 brotherhoods and more than 100 holy images.
OUR STAFF
Since the origin of our radio station, SER Malaga funded a professional staff to cover all of the events during this memorable week. Our media is known around Spain working in Malaga for more than 30 years and more than 10000 listeners. He also goes out to the streets to experience the great moments of Lent and, of course, throughout Holy Week.
ROCÍO
Description
The Victoria neighbourhood appears even more bustling than usual during the Holy Tuesday. Many people will walk these streets to see one of the three processions that has their Brotherhood House nearby. The first one will be El Rocío, which will also be the first to reach the Official Route. After this brotherhood, El Rescate and La Sentencia will also fill “La Victoria” with the pungent smell of burning incense wafting through the air, celebrating their big day.
Tuesday is also the day that “the Bride of Málaga”, María Santísima del Rocío, will take part in the procession on the streets. The main difference between this Virgin and the others is her dress. Ever since the first procession, in 1931, she dresses completely in white. The colour of her clothes only changes during the festivity of the Immaculate Conception. Also, the white colour emphasizes her simple crown, a halo adorned with twelve seven pointed stars, each point corresponding to each one of the seven streets that end at the square of the Church of San Lázaro where this sculpture rests during the rest of the year.
During the Spanish Civil War, the statue of this Virgin, made in 1935, remained hidden in a cupboard in a house on Puerto Street, preserving it from the attacks the Republican side was carrying out on churches and any images of saints they would find in them.
Before the Bride of Málaga, we find the procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno de los Pasos en el Monte Calvario, that represents one of the falls that Jesus suffered when carrying the cross on his ascent to the Golgotha mount. In this scene, he rests on a rock before continuing on his way.
One of the best places to see this procession is the Tribuna de los Pobres, located at the intersection of Carretería Street and the Pasillo de Santa Isabel, where the carriers raise the floats above their shoulders numerous times.
How are they dressed?
In the section of Christ: purple tunic and capirote, with an embroidered scapular.
In the section of the Virgin: white tunic and capirote, with an embroidered scapular.
PENAS
Description
The brotherhood of Las Penas is one of the most anticipated ones due to the uniqueness of the Virgin’s cape. Instead of being an embroidered fabric like the others, it is made with natural flowers. Each year the Virgin wears a different design made by the gardeners of the City Council which takes around five days to make. This tradition dates back to the second time this Virgin, María Santísima de las Penas, was taken on a procession, held in 1944. The precarious financial situation of the brotherhood and the fact that the brotherhood’s manager at that time was Alfonso Cruz, the city’s main senior park gardener, lead to the Virgin wearing a mantle of natural flowers on that year’s procession. This beautiful cape was enjoyed so much by the people of Málaga that it continues to be part of the tradition, despite many attempts to change it.
Preceding the Virgin’s procession, we can find the section of Christ, Santísimo Cristo de la Agonía, which walks along streets that are so narrow that the wooden cross can be touched from the balconies. The scene represents the last moments of the martyrdom of Jesus.
How are they dressed?
In both sections: black tunic, burgundy capirote and an embroidered shield on the chest.
NUEVA ESPERANZA
Description
The Nueva Málaga neighbourhood is located on the East of the city, and it is there where the Nueva Esperanza brotherhood begins its route, which is seven kilometres long (the longest of the Holy Week of Málaga), with steep slopes making this course a real challenge. This procession can take up to twelve hours.
However, it is not enough for the carriers to cover this itinerary, but in locations like the Tribuna de los Pobres (located between Carretería Street and the Pasillo de Santa Isabel), they put a lot of their effort into rocking the floats to the rhythm of the music, as in a choreography. This is the reason why each melody is planned in advance in the “cruceta”, as distinct ones are performed on the different streets, this is a key aspect of this brotherhood.
Jesus’ float represents the ascent of Jesus carrying the cross to the Golgotha mount. His face looks tired but serene and is looking down. On the Virgin’s float, we find María Santísima de Nueva Esperanza, representing a mother crushed by a contained pain. The Virgin was acquired in the old town of Peñarrubia, which disappeared by the construction of the Guadalteba reservoir. The town currently lays under these waters.
How are they dressed?
In the section of Christ: purple tunics and capirotes.
In the section of the Virgin: ivory tunic and green capirote.
ESTRELLA
Description
The image of Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Humillación y el Perdón is represented with his hands tied behind his back and with his head slightly tilted towards the ground. The white tunic falls slightly off the left shoulder leaving his chest uncovered. This statue represents the moment when Jesus is taken back to Pilate's house after being humiliated by Herod, who had him dressed in a white garment as a sign of mental disturbance.
This brotherhood has the oldest float (Christ’s one) of the Holy Week of Málaga, carved by José Benítez Oliver in 1922 in mahogany wood with silver metalwork. It has a Renaissance style, with four lanterns on its corners, where we can see the images of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
The Virgin, María Santísima de la Estrella, is an anonymous piece from the 18th century. Its main characteristic is the dark blue cape embroidered with numerous stars referring to the image of the Virgin. Additionally, in this cape we can find the embroidered shields of all the Spanish provinces.
One of the hallmarks of this brotherhood is that the floats are raised above the carriers’ shoulders numerous times during the entire route, primarily at their Brotherhood House at the beginning and end of the procession and when they arrive to the Tribuna de los Pobres, located between Carretería Street and the Pasillo de Santa Isabel. Many people wait here for this brotherhood, as it never disappoints them.
The Holy Week of Málaga involves many public institutions and State Security Corps. The Holy Tuesday is the turn for the Local Police of Málaga, who are an honorary member of the brotherhood and are represented in the procession.
How are they dressed?
In the section of Christ: white tunic and capirote, with black a large black bib which also drapes and tapers at the back and cíngulo.
In the section of the Virgin: blue tunic and capirote, with a large white bib which also drapes and tapers at the back and cíngulo.
RESCATE
Description
The colourful attire of these nazarenos announces the arrival of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Rescate. The red, black, purple and other unusual colours in the brotherhoods’ tunics such as yellow and grey, flood the streets of Málaga in both sections of the procession. The reason behind using these striking colours is due to sponsorship from a brand of photographic materials, that began to commercialize colour reels at the end of the 1950s.
The biblical passage that is represented in this procession is the capture of Jesus when he is praying with his disciples in the garden of the Mount of Olives. This sculptural group is completed by the statue of Saint Peter, Saint John, Saint James, two Roman executioners (sayones) and Judas Iscariot. Also on this float, we see the third of the three olive trees (the first two are in the brotherhoods of Huerto and Prendimiento) carried in the processions of the Holy Week of Málaga.
The Virgin, María Santísima de Gracia, is carried on the streets of Málaga on the only gothic-style float of the city, a piece created by Antonio Martín Fernández. In this float, we can see different chapels where images of saints related to the order of the Barefooted (Discalced) Trinitarians are represented. This order is responsible for the founding of the brotherhood in the seventeenth century.
How are they dressed?
In the section of Christ: red tunic, black capirote and golden cíngulo. The high rank penitents wear also a yellow cape.
In the section of the Virgin: purple tunic, black capirote and grey cape.
SENTENCIA
Description
The Holy Tuesday starts and ends in the Malagueño district of La Victoria. In the early afternoon, El Rocío initiated the processions, and their neighbour, La Sentencia, will be the last brotherhood to go through the Official Route on this day.
On the float of Jesus, we can appreciate the moment when Pontius Pilate condemns Jesus to crucifixion at the request of the Jewish people. In the foreground, we see the statue of Jesus, an impressive anatomical study created by the sculptor is seen in this carving. He is tied with his hands behind his back and led by two executioners and two Roman soldiers. The Pilate washes his hands symbolising the fact he has ‘washed his hands of’ the decision to condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion.
Behind Jesus’ float, we see María Santísima en sus Misterios Dolorosos. This statue is attributed to the circle of Gutiérrez de León, from the 19th century. One of the most unique sounds of this procession is produced by the twelve rosaries that hang from each bar of the Virgin's canopy as the carriers rock the float as they move.
How are they dressed?
In the section of Christ: purple tunic and capirote and golden cíngulo.
In the section of the Virgin: light blue tunic and capirote and golden cíngulo.
