Holy Week in Valladolid
Once the Spanish capital, Valladolid still celebrates Semana Santa (Holy Week) with all the pomp and ceremony seen in the Golden Age.
Over Easter the city becomes a showcase of Cofradías, or religious brotherhoods, each of which represents a different parish of the city and some of which date back to the 16th century. Each marks out a route from their respective church to the cathedral, re-enacting the events of Christ's Passion at some of the important monuments and sites on the way.
Some of the brothers must carry the pasos, or litters, that act as platforms for Jesus Christ and The Virgin, which can weigh up to several tonnes. The burden is not just physical but also highly symbolic of taking on the burden of the sorrows of the Virgin and Christ.
Related Information
Website: Castilla-Leon Tourism Website
| Town Information: | Valladolid |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | Valladolid,Spain |
| Besides its history as former capital to the Kingdom of Spain, Valladolid was no less than capital of the Spanish Empire under the reign of Philip II and III. | |
| The city served as site of the wedding of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in 1469, thus uniting the two largest kingdoms of the epoch, and was where Cervantes spent his later years, as well as where Cristopher Colombus is said to have died. Although the city has considerably declined since its greater days, and is best characterised by its industrial workforce - largely automotive - it annually unearths the golden age zeitgeist with spectacular street displays that reenact the events of the Passion. | |
| Directions: | Located 150km north-west of Madrid. |
| Name: | Valladolid Provincial Tourist Office |
|---|---|
| Location: | Valladolid |
| Address: | Palacio de Pimentel, C/ Angustias, 44, 47003 Valladolid |
| Email: | presidencia@dip-valladolid.es |
| Phone: | +34 983 427 100 |
| Fax: | +34 983 267 919 |
| Name: | Spanish National Tourist Office |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | José Lazaro Galdiano, 6, Madrid 28036 |
| Fax: | +34 913 43 35 00 |
| Name: | Spanish National Tourist Office (TourSpain) |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | José Lazaro Galdiano, 6, Madrid 28036 |
| Phone: | +34 913 43 35 00 or UK: +44 (0) 20 7486 8077 |
| Name: | Spanish Tourist Board (London) |
| Location: | Spain |
| Address: | PO Box 4009, London, W1A 6NB |
| Email: | info.londres@tourspain.es |
| Phone: | +44 (0) 20 7486 8077 |
| Fax: | +44 (0) 20 7486 8034 |
