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Holy Week in Xativa
Holy Week Procession - "As Cortesies ou el encuentro"
Holy Week in Xàtiva is one of the most important in the Valencian Community and one of the oldest. The highlight of these festivals is the Procession that includes the representation of biblical passages that accompany the wonderful custody.
The city has a Community of Sixteen Brotherhoods, which means that the number of people from the city and region involved is very high. The Brotherhood of Blood of Xàtiva is the oldest, with origins in the 14th century, and one of the oldest in Spain.
It is a religious event of high cultural and heritage value, recently declared Festival of Provincial Tourist Interest.
Its origins date back to the late Middle Ages. However, all documentation prior to 1707 was lost during the fire in the municipal archives. The 18th century marks the height of splendor of the Feasts of Easter Week throughout the Mediterranean area.
The Brotherhood also created an APP with the entire Holy Week program, event notifications, multimedia material, streaming broadcasts, etc.
Rich Heritage, Artistic and Religious
During Holy Week, the city's streets fill with people who come to witness the processions, of unquestionable solemnity, and who are the repository of a rich historical, artistic and religious heritage.
Ecce-Homo and Our Lady of Solitude are the protagonists of one of the most famous processions: the Cortesies procession or El Encuentro (The Encuentro), which takes place on Holy Wednesday. The image of Our Lady comes from the Collegiate Church, and that of the Ecce-Homo from the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced. At midnight, the two processions meet in front of the church of Sant Francesc. The Bible Stations of the Cross organized by the Brotherhood must also be highlighted.
During this procession, the images carried by the different brotherhoods are notable artistic elements. There are numerous images of great antiquity and value, in whose construction the best experts of the time participated.
Some of the images were attributed to the Valencian Josep Esteve i Bonet, a prominent Neoclassical sculptor who specialized in religious imagery.
Music plays an extremely important role during the celebration of Religious Processions of Lent, the most important liturgical moment of the Christian liturgical year.
In addition to the drum bands of each brotherhood, which give solemnity to the atmosphere with their rhythmic sound, the two musical societies of Xàtiva take part.
Primitiva Setabense and Nova de Xàtiva jointly published two works of high artistic value entitled Marxes Processonals, with a compilation of the pieces that are played in the streets of the city at Easter.
The Week changes its dates every year, as the Easter date is fixed from the first moon of Spring. The best way to follow the full program of events is from the Brotherhood of the Brotherhoods website.
Credits: Fotografías hermandadxativa.wordpress.com/