n° 1 spanish holiday rentals site

Balearic Islands Holidays Rentals,  Girona Holiday Rentals, Alicante Holiday Rentals, Tenerife Holiday Rentals: Sant Joan in Spain

Sant Joan is coming! It is the traditional midsummer party in Spain, a celebration in honour of San Juan. It takes place in June the 23rd night. It is common in many areas of the country. Parties are organised usually at beaches, where bonfires are lit and a set of firework displays usually take place. Bonfires are lit in the streets and there are fireworks too. On the Mediterranean coast, especially in Catalonia and València, special meals like Coca de Sant Joan are also served on this occasion. In Alicante, since 1928, the bonfires of Saint John were developed into elaborate constructions inspired by the Fallas of Valencia.

Midsummer tradition is also especially strong in northern areas of the country, such as Galicia, where one can easily identify the rituals that reveal the pagan beliefs widespread throughout Europe in Neolithic times. In cities and towns, particularly those close to the sea, the celebration is very important. Lalín, in Galicia, celebrates O Corpiño, during which people touch an image to botar fora o meigallo, to take out bad things. Galician beliefs pivot on three basic ideas: the importance of medicinal plants, especially in relation to health, youth and beauty; the protective character of fire to ward men off evil spirits and witches and, finally, the purifying, miraculous effects of water. What follows is a summary of Galician traditions surrounding St. John’s festival in relation to these three elements. In cities and towns, particularly those close to the sea, the celebration is very important. Lalín, in Galicia, celebrates O Corpiño, during which people touch an image to botar fora o meigallo, to take out bad things.

In Palamós and Roses (Girona), fireworks and bonfires are made on the beach, while in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the people build bonfires of waste products, and after the burn, bathe in the sea, which they have filled with fruits and flowers. The eve of San Juan (June 23rd) is magical for any coastal city of the Canary Island of Tenerife as the light from the numerous bonfires illuminate the sky of the shortest night of the year thus signaling the arrival of the summer solstice.

The Nit de Sant Joan, as the night of 23 June is called in Catalonia, is a magic night rooted in ancient traditions, one that is celebrated in every district in the province of Girona. Fire and music take pride of place, and they come together in traditional festivities staged out in the streets of the towns and cities. Custom demands that all the revellers sit around the bonfire and sample the traditional St. John coca – a sponge cake made with custard and crystallised fruit – and then dance away into the early hours while firing rockets and letting off fireworks. You can spend midsummer eve in any town or village in the various counties of Girona province, from the Costa Brava to the Pyrenees, but if you come along to Girona city you can join in the celebrations marking the arrival of the Canigó Flame.

Bonfires, fire and water are the protagonists of the night. Men and women, young people and children, all dedicate their days and afternoons to the preparation of bonfires. According to tradition, if people jump three times over a bonfire on San Juan’s night, they will be cleansed and purified, and their problems burned away.

Costa de la Luz holiday rentals: Nature, sun and water sports at the Costa de la Luz in Spain

This is your summer of nature, sun, and water sports. This is the summer you will travel to the Costa de la Luz and discover the pleasure of a holiday right on the beach. La Costa de la Luz is the part of the southern spanish coast on the atlantic ocean, in the provinces of Huelva and Cadiz. Beaches along the Costa de la Luz are generally long, sandy and backed by dunes and pine woods.

During July and August the beaches nearest the resorts are packed with mainly Spanish visitors from Huelva city and Sevilla. For the rest of the year, this coast is uncrowded and even in summer, it’s possible to find a relatively peaceful place on the beach. Although the beaches are exposed, they are less windswept than ones along the Cadiz stretch of the Costa de la Luz, but it’s still good for windsurfing.

The beach of Cádiz city
It is very large, nice and well kept. It offers the possibility to choose between the more popular part next to the city itself or the more quiet part just outside the boundaries of the city limits.

Chiclana de la Frontera
It has ample beaches and a variety of services available. Beaches in natural state, with dunes, pine groves and cliffs of great beauty. Suitable for the practice of scuba diving, Windsurf and the fishing.

Conil de la Frontera
It offers 14 kms of very varied beaches: from long sandy spots to lonely coves very appropriate for the nudism. Fine and golden sand and transparent and crystalline water. Ideal for the practice of nautical sports. A long beach backed by large cliffs in many stretches. Trendy little town with good bars and cafés, and a souvenir shop now opening up. Good nightlife in the small disco-bars.

Zahara de los Atunes
It is one of the best sandy beaches. Great little fishing village atmosphere. Try one of the pensions or Hotel Doña Luisa. A few kilometers further south there is a headland and rocks for snorkeling. Water can be turquoise blue like the Caribbean.

Caños de Meca
The beaches of El Palmar y de los Caños de Meca are kilometric beaches where you can enjoy a great tranquillity only altered by the wind of the area. The beaches of los Caños de Meca are still an example of the natural and savage beauty of Cadiz’ coastline.

Caños de Meca is a small but unspoiled community on the windswept but stunning Costa de la Luz on the Atlantic coast. Deep in the Parque Natural del Acantilado, Caños de Meca has beautiful beaches, backed by cliffs and pine trees. Perched on the cliff-tops straddling the coast road, this sleepy little village is fast waking up to a reputation as a trendy place for beatnik travellers and wave-jumpers to spend the summer. The singer/actress Lola Flores was originally from this area, and much to the pride of the locals, often spent her holidays in here.

Cadiz apartments: Sun, beach and windsurfing in Tarifa

If you like surfing and Spain, I am sure you know about Tarifa. If you still haven’t heard about it, you better read this post and start planning a vacation to this small town located on the Costa de la Luz in Cadiz, Andalusia. Tarifa is well known for its buzzing social scene during the days of summer. It provides a small-town friendly atmosphere, with many activities for children, while also offering exciting activities for adults at night. In recent years it has become a popular spot for northern-Europeans to spend their summers.

Tarifa is the windsurfing capital of Europe due to the strong winds of the straits. For this reason Tarifa is also dotted with hundreds of wind turbines. Its wind reliability probably tops them all. It is very difficult to have two consecutive non windy days. Tarifa is famous for two prevailing winds that blow through the Straits of Gibraltar. The levante from the south-east is most common in summer when it can blow for weeks, day and night. It is generally stronger, warmer and produces flatter conditions. The westerly poniente, most prevalent in autumn and spring, comes in from the Atlantic, is cooler and can bring waves.

The mountainous terrain and other elements such as the temperature difference between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, high and low pressure, are the cause of winds in Tarifa. As well there is a thermal effect that usually means the wind is strongest in the afternoon. Ideal for party animals. Beginners’ courses start at 10 a.m.! Conditions can change rapidly and a gentle force 3/4 can be a 6 to 7 within half an hour.

Tarifa is ideal for windsurfing slalom blasting with sail sizes varying from 3.5 - 6.5. The levante gives flatter water in a slightly offshore wind and little shorebreak. The poniente is more bump and jump with shorebreak building up more the closer to town you sail. If conditions look good, it can be worth a trip to Bologna or Canos de Meca (site of the Battle of Trafalgar).

As with windsurfing, Tarifa is at the forefront of development in kitesurfing. The large beaches in Tarifa make it easy for learning to fly the kite. On the water it is best during a poniente when the wind is blowing cross onshore. Conditions in Tarifa can vary considerably so you need to be prepared to be flexible, especially if you are a beginner. It is a destination that is most suitable for improvers or for those wishing to combine windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Near the port of Tarifa there is a well-preserved castle, the Castillo de Guzman. T Tarifa is an excellent place to watch migrating birds, in particular the storks which cross the Straits of Gibraltar in spring and autumn. Also whale and dolphin watching can be done on the 14 kilometer wide Straits. Like the name Costa de la Luz suggests, Tarifa enjoys many hours of sunlight each year.

Huelva Apartments: El Rocio, a celebration that combines religion and fiesta

El Rocio is about to start and if you want to experience true Spanish culture and tradition, you should go there from May 27th to June 1st. The celebration combines religion and fiesta, and is held 50 days after Easter. Hundreds of thousands of people come from all over Spain, and even abroad, to make this annual pilgrimage to the Blanca Paloma Shrine in the village of El Rocio, 17 kilometres from the town of Almonte (Huelva province).

The pilgrimage begins with a walk through the ancient footpaths that converge around the River Guadalquivir. From dawn to dusk, a cloak embroidered with the moon and stars covers the tiny village of El Rocio. Join the pilgrims, accompanied throughout the entire camino (journey) by the drumming, to the rhythm of the drums and the sound of the flutes.

In addition to the drumming, fireworks stud the sky, guiding and calling the stragglers and, behind them, the hermandades (brotherhoods) with their staffs and flags, in a cloud of fringes, polka dots and flowers.

The most typical way of doing the pilgrimage is on horseback, in one of the carretas (decorated wagons) or on foot, journeying through the marshlands and sleeping out in the open. On Sunday night no-one sleeps in anticipation of being able to enter the church and join in the procession of the Blanca Paloma (White Dove), by which the Virgin of El Rocio is known. The most exciting moment of all is the salto (leap), when the people of the nearby town of Almonte enter the shrine, leaping over the railings, and lead their Virgin in procession through the village.

More than a million people and close to one hundred different brotherhoods enjoy the wonderful festive atmosphere of this pilgrimage to the village of El Rocio.  Candles, torches and flares illuminate the simpecados, a banner of the Virgin transported under an elaborately decorated canopy, one for each hermandad, while thousands of people sing the Mysteries in honour of Our Lady, reeling off the prayer like pearls of love.

El Rocio
Dates:   5/27/2009  - 6/1/2009

Malaga Apartments: The  Casa-Museo Pablo Ruiz Picasso shows graphic works by the painter depicting the world of bullfighting

If you are around Malaga from now until the 7th of July, you should go to see ‘Picasso. Art and Bullring’ to the Casa-Museo Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The exhibition presents graphic works by the painter depicting the world of bullfighting, together with ceramics on the same subject.

Visitors can see a series of lithographs made by the genius from Malaga, one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art, in which the figure of the bull is simplified to a point approaching surrealism, and where he represents scenes from the bullfight that are alive with drama and movement. In addition to these engravings, the exhibition includes books illustrated by Picasso himself which serve as a testimony to his fascination with the art of bullfighting.

The Malaga in which Picasso was born and lived was a depressed and decadent city, yearning for the prosperity it had enjoyed in the middle of the century. If you want to trace Picasso’s steps through the city of Malaga we should begin at the house where he was born which has been reconverted into the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation / Casa-Museo Pablo Ruiz Picasso. It was on the first floor of this building that Pablo was born, on the night of 25th October 1881. The flat had been rented by José Ruiz Blasco in 1879 (he marriaged with  Maria Picasso Lopez in 1880) and its original construction dates from 1861 and was the work of the master builder Diego Clavero.

The Plaza de la Merced was the square in which Pablo the child played his first games. In Roman times it had been the site of an amphitheatre, but in the Middle Ages it was merely a broad space open at the wall that surrounded Malaga in this section of the city, the scene of fierce skirmishes during the Castilian blockade.

At the beginning of Calle Granada, on the corner with Plaza de la Merced, we can see the chemist’s Bustamante, where Picasso’s father would be found indulging in lively conversation, when the place was run by the Mamely family. Also in Calle Granada was the jeweller’s shop that belonged to an uncle and mentor of Picasso, Baldomero Ghiara (where the present day Nº 5 stands, which was previously 9-15), and where we can still look up in awe at the beautiful painted allegories on the ceiling.

To the left of Calle Granada is the turning into calle San Agustin. At the beginning of this street appears to be the nursery school attended by Picasso. And as you approach the end of the street, next to the church of San Agustin, we find the old convent and school of the same name, founded at the end of the 16th century. This building housed the offices of Malaga Town Hall from 1869 onwards.

Before leaving calle San Agustín it should be mentioned that it was in this street that the Picasso Museum of Malaga had its inauguration on the 27th October 2003, with an initial collection of 155 of the artist’s works, covering all the styles and techniques. This collection was donated by Christine Ruiz-Picasso, the widow of Paul Ruiz-Picasso (the painter’s first child), and her son, Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, and the project was put together by the Autonomous regional Government of Andalusia.

Returning to the Picasso route, in the Plaza de la Constitucion we find the Malaga Athenaeum, which during Picasso’s childhood period was the San Telmo School of Fine Arts. José Ruiz was a student at this School and later worked there as an assistant teacher of Line drawing. Although Picasso was never enrolled there, being under the required age, it is likely that on occasions he would have accompanied his father. Today the Athenaeum conserves a permanent record of this association and is the centre of numerous cultural activities. In the nearby Calle Comedias was San Rafael School, at nº 20 (nowadays nº 18) where Picasso studied as a child.

Picasso went many times with his father to watch the bull fights to the Malagueta bullring in which he saw the most illustrious bullfighters of that period, and this would develop in him an enthusiasm that was to accompany him all his life and have a profound influence on his artistic iconography. He also recalled, according to his secretary Jaime Sabartés, having been at the bull ring watching Moreno Carbonero working on his painting “The Arrival of Roger de Flor in Constantinople” (1888), surrounded by horses and friends dressed up to serve as models for him.

More information
Casa-Museo Pablo Ruiz Picasso
Plaza  de la Merced, 15 29012 Málaga  (Malaga)
Tel. +34 952060215 /Fax +34 952215107

Cadiz Apartments: Spain’s world-renowned sherry-producing town of Jerez hosts the Horse Fair

The Jerez de la Frontera Horse Fair has been declared an event with international tourist interest. This year will be celebrated from 10th to 17th May. Spain’s world-renowned sherry-producing town of Jerez hosts the most important equine heritage event in the whole of Spain. The Gonzalez Hontoria fair park becomes a town within another town and it is lighted as if a brilliant sun shined through more than 1,200,000 light bulbs with different colours.

The festival also doubles up as a large Agricultural Fair and there are a large number of bullfighting and Flamenco shows running throughout the fair.  The Jerez Horse Fair consists of joy, fun and purebred animals. The nobility of the horses you can see during the event has made it internationally famous. Of ancient origins (1284), it was originally a livestock market. Over the years it evolved into today’s conglomerate of festivities. Among the different events, mention should be made of the equestrian contests and competitions, and of the marquees set up in González de Hontoria park, adorning its avenues and paths with flowers and garlands over the course of the fair.

On Sunday 10th May, at 22,00 hours (first official day of the Fair) you will watch a spectacular firework display which marks the start of a festival lasting 7 days. You will enjoy a friendly funny people at any marquee gen with music belonging to friend groups, enterprises, cultural associations, other circles of friends and so on. There will be more than 200 marquee gens.

The highlight of the fair is undoubtedly the Como bailan Los Caballos Andaluces show, performed by Jerez’s very own Real Escuela de Arte Ecuestre (Royal School of Equestrian Art) - a fully-fledged equestrian ballet, featuring choreography adapted from the training exercises of classical dressage and doma vaquera, along with Spanish music and costumes. One incredible move is the cabriole, where the horse throws its forelegs and hind legs in an outward arc before putting its feet to the ground.

Fast 2,000,000 visitors in only 7 days backes up the prestige and it guarantees the resounding success of the Horse Fair each year. All this is assisted by an area covering more than 52,000 square meters for kids and adults to enjoy funfairs at this huge scene. You will just watch in wonderment and excitement authentic swarms of people singing, laughing, dancing, sharing fun and eager for the festival at the Horse Fair. At such a celebration, 500,000 wine bottles can be drunk in a week.

Apart from a parallel program with the Horse Walk, you will daily observe attractions at several places, such as an impressive show performed by hundreds of horsemen and horsewomen.

They both wear typical dresses from Andalusia and horses with admirable harnesses parade very elegantly and skillfully.To sum up, the Fair always comes once again with all its composition beauty, quality and comfort as top priorities in the broadest sense of the terms.

There are always some kind of typical music from Andalusia (sevillanas, rumbas) and marquee gens for the youth with modern disco music at funfair street. There is also a strict performance of the law. Those who do not obey, will not set a marquee gen the next edition.

Navarra apartments: Discover the Navarra Wines, more than 17,000 hectares of vineyards

This is the perfect time to discover Navarra and practice some wine tourism. Rosé wines, white wines, young reds or barrel aged red wines, and also sweet wines, all made from the different grape varieties grown in Navarra, are offering a world of sensations to experience. The Navarre Designation of Origin encompasses more than 17,000 hectares of vineyards, boasting a great diversity of climates, soils and meteorological conditions and grouped into five, clearly differentiated areas, each with its own specific characteristics. As a result, in just a few kilometres, visitors can discover a wide range of possibilities.

A key characteristic of the D.O. Navarre area is the extraordinary diversity of its climates and landscapes spread across more than 100 kilometres lying between the zone around Pamplona in the north and the Ebro river plain to the south.

The fact is that Navarre enjoys an exceptional location, one which is practically unique in the Iberian Peninsula and is marked by the confluence of the Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean climates. The closeness of the Bay of Biscay, the influence of the Pyrenees and the mildness of the Ebro valley are all key factors in this wide range of climates.

This circumstance deeply marks the landscape in Navarre, where the more than 17,000 hectares dedicated to the Designation of Origin are distributed between many different types of ecosystems and crop growing situations: hill slopes; river plains; plateaux; and plains. The D.O. is divided into 5 distinct wine-making areas: Baja Montaña, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Ribera Alta and Ribera Baja.

Baja Montaña
Location
In the east of Navarre, bordering with Aragon. Main town: Sangüesa.

Main varieties grown
Practically only red wine varieties, principally Garnacha (more than 60%) and Tempranillo (25%)

Soils
The zone comprises a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type. On the northern most slopes the soils are of a varying depth, free from stones, and heavy textured on the grey marls of the marine Eocene period in the Lumbier basin. On the remaining slopes the soil thickness and stoniness varies, with fine or silty loam textures on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary of the Ebro valley. Finally, there is the flat land on the valley floors and on the remains of the alluvial terraces of the Irati and Aragon rivers, land which is frequently characterised by abundant round gravel providing deep, loamy soils and excellent drainage for the vineyards.
Climate

This zone is located between the sub-humid zone to the north and the high, dry zone to the south with mean annual precipitation variations ranging from 470 to 760 mm. As a result of the differences in altitude, the favourable vegetation periods for the vineyards range between 205 days in Lerga and 234 in San Martín de Unx. This zone is the one most influenced by the Pyrenees.

Municipal districts and councils: Aibar, Cáseda, Eslava, Ezprogui, Gallipienzo, Javier, Leache, Lerga, Liédena, Lumbier, Sada, Sangüesa, San Martín de Unx, Ujué and the Councils of Arboniés and Domeño in the Romanzado Valley and the Councils of Rípodas, San Vicente and Tabar in the Urraul Bajo Valley.

Valdizarbe
Location
In central Navarre, to the south of the Pamplona basin, constituting the nerve centre of the Way of St James through Navarre, where the route from Baja Navarre merges with that from Aragon. Main town: Puente La Reina.

Main varieties grown
Amongst the reds, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet and Merlot all have similar surface areas, whilst there is also some Chardonnay and Malvasía.

Soils
The situation is similar to the Baja Montaña zone, with a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type. In the northern most area the soils are of a varying depth, free from stones, and heavy textured on the grey marls of the marine Eocene period in the basin of Pamplona. On the remaining slopes, the soils are based on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary, with varying thicknesses and stoniness, with fine or silty loam textures, some with a highly characteristic reddish colour. As in the above mentioned zones, there are also vineyards on the alluvial valley floors and on the remains of the Arga and Salado river terraces and the Sierra del Perdón glacis, on practically flat land with no drainage problems, with deep loamy, frequently stony soils.

Municipal districts and councils: Adiós, Añorbe, Artazu, Barásoain, Biurrun, Cirauqui, Echauri, Enériz, Garínoain, Guirguillano, Legarda, Leoz, Mañeru, Mendigorría, Muruzábal.

Tierra Estella
Location
Set on the western strip of Navarre, along the Way of St James, bordering the Basque Country and La Rioja. Main town: Estella.

Main varieties grown
For red wine varieties, of particular note is the Tempranillo (almost 50% of the total), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and, for the whites, the Chardonnay is the most prominent variety.

Soils
The zone comprises a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type. On the slopes of the diapirs of Estella and Lorca, the deep, heavy clay soils lie on multi-coloured marls formed during the Triassic period. On the remaining markedly undulating slopes, the soil thickness and stoniness varies, with fine or silty loam textures on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary conglomerate, some with a significant red colour. Finally, on the alluvial valley floors and on the remains of the terraces of the rivers Ega, Iranzu and Odrón, and the glacis of Montejurra, the vineyards are sited on flat, or almost flat, land with excellent drainage, deep loamy soils which frequently have abundant gravel.

Municipal districts and councils: Aberin, Allo, Arellano, Armañanzas, Arróniz, Ayegui, Barbarin, Dicastillo, Desojo, El Busto, Espronceda, Estella, Igúzquiza, Lazagurría, Los Arcos, Luquin, Mendaza, Morentin, Murieta, Oteíza de la Solana, Sansol, Torralba del Río, Torres del Río, Valle de Yerri, Villamayor de Monjardín and Villatuerta, in addition to communities of grazing land of Cogullo Alto, Cogullo Bajo, Sarmindieta and Chandivar.

Ribera Alta
Location
Situated in the middle belt of Navarre, in the transitional area towards the southern region, with an important wine growing centre around Olite. Main town: Tafalla.

Main varieties grown
The Tempranillo is predominant, with a wide range of other red wine varieties too, notably the Graciano. As for whites, this zone is noted for having the highest percentage of Chardonnay in the region and a certain amount of Moscatel.

Soils
The zone comprises a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type. On most of the slopes, the soil thickness and stoniness varies, with fine or silty loam textures on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary, except in some areas of Cárcar, Sesma, Lerín or Falces, where the vineyards are on shallow soils with a loam - clay texture and a marked gypsum content, precisely on alternate layers of marls and gypsum. As in other zones, the vineyards are on deep soils associated with the different quaternary alluvial terrace levels of the rivers Ega, Arga, Cidacos and Aragón, frequently with loamy and stony textures which provide excellent drainage. On the highest terraces, such as Monplanet in Olite or the Saso of Santacara, there are frequent limestone crusts at a very shallow depth.

Municipal districts and councils: Artajona, Beire, Berbinzana, Cadreita, Caparroso, Cárcar, Carcastillo, Falces, Funes, Larraga, Lerín, Lodosa, Marcilla, Mélida, Milagro, Miranda de Arga, Murillo el Cuende, Murillo el Fruto, Olite, Peralta, Pitillas, Sansoain, Santacara, Sesma, Tafalla and Villafranca.

Ribera Baja
Location
Set in the south of Navarre, in the Ebro valley between Aragón and La Rioja. Main town: Tudela.

Main varieties grown
Amongst the red wine varieties, the Tempranillo is the dominant grape (40%) followed by the Garnacha (30%). As far as the whites are concerned, the zone boasts the largest concentration of Viura and Moscatel in the region.

Soils
Many of the vineyards are on soils located on different levels of quaternary terraces and glacis formed by the river Ebro and its tributaries on the right bank. Most of the sediments come from the Iberian system. This is flat land with deep, loamy soils which are often stony. At a shallow depth beneath the surface, limestone crusts are frequent on the higher terraces, such as the Montes de Cierzo. In the southern most part, on the gentle slopes of the zone dominated by the Moncayo, the soils are of varying thickness and stoniness, with fine or silty loam textures on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary conglomerate of the Ebro valley.

Municipal districts and councils: Ablitas, Arguedas, Barillas, Cascante, Castejón, Cintruénigo, Corella, Fitero, Monteagudo, Murchante, Tudela, Tulebras and Valtierra.

More information
Consejo  Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Navarra

Costa Calida Apartments: Holy Week in Cartagena

Easter is one of Cartagena’s characteristic and unique exponents. It is the longest week of the year, as it is actually ten days: from Dolores Friday (before Palm Sunday) to Easter Sunday, ten days of populist rejoicing in which Cartagena becomes equally merry. Declared to have National Tourist Interest in 1968, along with its fabulous thrones it features the rich costumes and embroidery of its penitents, its remarkable religious images, the special colour of its regiment of  “Jews” and grenadiers, the military stamp of the participation of the armed forces in the processions, the thousands of light-hearted child penitents, acts such as “Pilate’s Maundy”, or “The Encounter”, the float of St. Peter starting at the Military Naval Dockyard or of Jesus of Nazareth at the Fish Market, or the very popular end of the Virgin parades with the home-comming of the thrones to the church.

There are four Brotherhoods:

Christ of Succour
Ilustre Cofradía del Santísimo Cristo del Socorro. This Way of the Cross float takes place at dawn on Dolores Friday, with penance stages before the Rosell Virgin, former patron saint of Cartagena, and before its current patron saint, the Charity Virgin, with attendance at the first mass held on its feast day.

The Illustrious Brotherhood of the Most Holy and Royal Christ of the Succourwas originally an aristocratic brotherhood founded in 1691 by Don Pedro Colón de Portugal y de la Cueva, Duke of Veragua and Lord Admiral of the Spanish fleet as a way of giving thanks to the Christ of the Succour for the miraculous cure of his son. The brotherhood was refounded in 1961 as an austerely penitential group whose task was to stage the Via Crucis on the morning of ‘Viernes de Dolores’ (the Friday before Holy Week), a procession which wends its way through the oldest streets of Cartagena and is the first Holy Week event in the whole of Spain.

Californios
La Pontificia Real e Ilustre Cofradía de Nuestro Padre Jesús en el Doloroso Paso del Prendimiento y Esperanza de la Salvación de las Almas, usually called the Californians. This Brotherhood organises five float processions. Each one has specific characteristics which makes it different from the others. From the joy of Palm Sunday, with the streets full of Californian children, to the austerity and devotion of the Silent Procession on Maundy Thursday, including the most military procession of the Holy Week in Cartagena, the one held on Easter Tuesday which is the most modern procession within the Brotherhood. Equally beautiful floats can be seen on Dolores Friday and at the Great Procession of the Seizure of Christ on the Easter Wednesday night.

The Pontificial, Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus in the Painful Pageant of the Arrest and Hope for the Salvation of Our Souls16 dates back to the 18th century and, or so legend has it, owes its nickname (californios) to the influential role played in the brotherhood by a wealthy group of penitents from California. In the course of the 18th century the city of Cartagena developed spectacularly, thanks to its designation as capital of the Department of the Mediterranean, and saw the building of new fortifications and an arsenal. The brotherhood, which was founded in 1747, appears to have benefitted from the economic boom and, in the space of a few years, had assembled a collection of processional pieces by Salzillo narrating the Passion of Christ up to the moment of his Arrest, the brotherhood’s titular image.

Regrettably, most of this magnificent collection was destroyed during 17 the Civil War, though the brotherhood would entrust its reconstruction to another of the greats of Spanish sculpture, Mariano Benlliure. Red is the brotherhood’s distinguishing colour, and its task is to stage the grand procession of the Arrest, on the night of Holy Wednesday, together with the procession of the Christ of Mercy on the night of the Friday before Holy Week, the procession of Palm Sunday, the journey of the Apostles on Holy Tuesday and the procession of Silence on the night of Maundy Thursday.

Marrajos
Real e Ilustre Cofradía de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, generally known as Marraja Brotherhood. The Marrajas processions are a good example of the singular Easter celebrations one can find in Cartagena. These processions are unique thanks to the grandeur of their thrones, genuinely from Cartagena -real light and charm architecture- the artistic value of their religious images, their rich, golden embroideries, and the harmonious parade of its penitents, following a perfect order and in complete silence, moving to the regular rhythm of the drums and of the traditional procession march.

Its nickname, the “Marrajos”, comes from a popular tradition by which the money to pay for the procession of Jesus of Nazareth was reputedly earned by fishermen from the sale of a mako shark (in Spanish, a “marrajo”). Distinguished by their purple tunics, the members of the brotherhood are responsible for organizing the two processions on Good Friday –the Encounter in the morning and the Holy Burial in the evening– as well as the procession of promises of the Piety on Holy Monday and of the True Cross on Holy Saturday.

The two Good Friday processions are the oldest in origin of all of Cartagena’s Holy Week and have developed out of what, in the Baroque, was known as the Paso de la calle de la Amargura (‘Pageant of the Via Crucis’) and the Paso del Desenclavamiento (‘Pageant of the Unnailing of Christ from the Cross’). The popular roots of the processions were the inspiration for the images used by the brotherhood, images which, in the main, included only head, hands and feet to be dressed in fine clothes and were ideally suited to the theatrical aims of the sacred drama of the Passion.

At the start of the 20th century the marrajos undertook a major renewal and expansion of their imagery, so that despite the loss of some important items, such as the former St John of Salzillo, the brotherhood can now boast a wide collection of sculptures which have become an inevitable reference-point for twentieth-century Spanish sculpture generally, with work by such artists as José Capuz and Juan González Moreno.

The Chapel of Our Lord Jesus of NazarethThis tiny baroque gem, the chapel of the marrajos, is to be found in what is now the military church of Santo Domingo, in calle Mayor. The original chapel of the brotherhood was built in 1642 in what used to be the church of the former Dominican convent of San Isidoro. In 1732 the chapel was extended to include the present altarpiece. The chapel is square-shaped and topped with a graceful dome which is profusely decorated with emblems of the Passion. All of the theatrical techniques of the Baroque are deployed here, with natural light being used to create the impression that the dome is actually rising into the air and also to highlight the gold of the altarpiece.

The altarpiece is a summary of the essential content of the Good Friday processions: in a lady chapel in the large central hexedra stands the image of Jesus of Nazareth himself, a remarkable sculpture by José Capuz, and in niches on either side the rest of the images which appear in the Via Crucis. The story of the Passion is completed in the upper part of the chapel, with paintings between the rocailles depicting the Crucifixion, Calvary and the Descent from the Cross.

Resucitados
The Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus Resurrected is the most recent of Cartagena’s brother- hoods. An offshoot of the Marrajo Brotherhood, it was founded in 1943. Its distinguishing colour is white and its job is to organize the procession of the Resurrection on the morning of Easter Sunday It organises one single procession, the one held on Easter Sunday morning. There is a particularly moving episode when, back at the church of Santa María de Gracia, thousands of people gather on that day to sing, as they have done every day with the Virgin images making up the procession’s floats, the popular Cartagena’s Hail Mary to the Virgen del Amor Hermoso.

There is a notable “rivalry” between the two main religious brotherhoods, the marrajos the californios. The former of these dates back to the beginning of the 17th century and their chosen colour is purple, while the latter was founded in 1747, with the colour red. The processions last ten days and have some unique features, such as the exuberant floral decorations on the pasos (religious statues) and the way the story of the Passion of Christ is represented in chronological order.

Also unusual are the nazarenos: most of them are children, with their faces uncovered, and they distribute souvenirs of the different brotherhoods and sweets amongst the crowd. Almost all the processions take place at night, and the majority start and finish at Santa María de Gracia church.

One of the most emotional moments takes place right at the door of this church, when the processions finish with the entrance of the Virgin Mary, and thousands of people sing the Salve Popular Cartagenera together. Among the most popular processions are the Virgen de la Caridad, the Traslado de los Apóstoles, the Easter Wednesday Procession and the Santo Encuentro. You can watch them comfortably seated, or otherwise on various different sections of the route, moving from one to the next on parallel streets.

The price of seats varies according to the area and the day in question, and they can be hired from the booths set up in Plaza de San Sebastián Square, Plaza del Icue Square and on Calle Aire Street. There are some parts of the route that are particularly recommended – they are specially spectacular on account of the complicated manoeuvres at these points: this is the case in Calle Jara Street, at the meeting point of Aire and Cañon streets, of Cañon and Mayor streets, and at the entrance to Santa María church.

If you want to take home a souvenir, you can buy the insignias of the different brotherhoods and typical festive sweets, “sepulcros”, at the stalls in Calle San Miguel Street.

All of the Holy Week processions in Cartagena follow the same basic pattern which, while giving each a distinct identity, is the basis of a truly Cartagena concept of the processions.

The procession is divided into «tercios»(or «regiments») which are grouped around each of the processional floats. The regiment is made up of penitents, all members of the same group, wearing «capirotes»(«pointed hoods»); three of the penitents lead the procession with the group’s standard.

Following them are two symmetrical lines of penitents who keep time with a “hachote”, a kind of long stick-like lantern which is generally decorated with finely wrought silver. At the rear of the regiment come the drummers and the band, just before the float bearing the image or sculptural ensemble of the Passion. Music is thus a key element in each of the group’s processions, both accompanying the step of the regiment of penitents and adding solemnity to the slow passage of the sacred images through the streets.

The Cartagena processions have all the trappings of a concert, as music is conceived aesthetically, not as mere accompaniment but as what governs the rhythmic motion of penitents and float. Hence the continued importance of the processional marches and the reason why each of the regiments has maintained its own particular repertoire for the image of its devotion.

More info
Niumba: Holy Week in Seville
Niumba: Holy Week in Granada
Niumba: Easter Week in Salamanca
Niumba: Holy Week in Spain

Apartments in Salamanca: Semana Santa in Salamanca

Easter Week in Salamanca is an event declared of International Touristic Interest. The Maundy Thursday services in the University and the taking down of Christ from the cross are two of the most noteworthy events in these celebrations.

Of the numerous events held in the city, the services held in the chapel of the old university stand out. The Maundry Thursday features a ceremony which is a mix of the academic and the liturgical. Held in the Catedral Vieja (Old Cathedral), all of the university professors attend dresed in their academic robes and take turns holding a lighted candle in an act that has never been cancelled- even during the epoch in which Semana Santa was. Originally intended to lure worshippers, the ceremony traditionally includes a breafkast of hot chocolate and cakes- a practice which is still upheld today!

On Good Friday, all of the city’s convents and churches remain open all day. The taking down of the figure of Christ is a ceremony not to be missed. It is hung between two other crosses, in a setting of the cathedral’s Patio Chico (small patio), with the tower of the cock and the garden of Melibea on either side. Two days later, on Easter Sunday, is the moving “Acto del Reencuentro.” Taking place in the Plaza de Anaya, the mourning Virgin is shed of her black cloak and she “meets” with the figure of her risen son in a happy, festive moment.

On the Monday following Easter friends and family meet at the river’s shores in what is essentially a huge picnic. After the traditionally strict 40 days of Lent and the solemn Semana Santa, Lunes de Aguas is spent relaxing, having fun, and eating “hornazo”- a pastry pie filled with ham, sausage, bacon, cooked egg, and sometimes even chicken. Learn more about the surprising history of Lunes de Aguas.

Salamanca’s Holy Week has the advantage of its natural surroundings: the Plaza de la Universidad, the Casa de las Conchas, Clerecía, the two cathedrals, San Esteban, el Arrabal and the Roman Bridge. Each procession through Salamanca passes through a piece of history, invoked by a house, a palace, a temple or a tower. The fraternity of el Cristo del Amor y de la Paz (Christ of Love and Peace) forms a procession that takes an unusual route; starting with the climb towards the city from the suburbs of Lázaro, on the other side of the river Tormes, it passes along the river bank and across the Roman bridge, arrives at calle Tentenecio (with its tale of the miracle of San Juan de Sahagún when he tamed a mad bull), approaches the Plaza Mayor, and returns via the university quarter to the river bank. On the same day the Procesión del Cristo de la Agonía leaves from the Plaza de las Úrsulas, and at dawn on Friday there are the processions of el Santísimo Cristo de la Buena Muerte, Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Pasión, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores and of la Virgen de la Esperanza, promoted by Salamancan writers and journalists.

About Salamanca

Salamanca is the university city by excellence, known in the whole world for this and for its artistic richness: cathedrals, palaces, churches… of artistic styles such as romanesque, gothic, plateresque y barroque. Situated on the banks of the river Tormes, its geographical extensión is 12.336 Km², and It currently has159.000 inhabitants.

Salamanca, in spite of its extreme weather (cold and dry winter and warm summer), has many charms which make the stay of those who visit it a very pleasant one, a city where those activities related to tourism and free time are essential. Salamanca was the European City of Culture in the year. Music, dancing, exhibitions, street shows… the Calendar of events of Salamanca 2002 ranged from the latest cultural tendencies To the purest enterntainment.

More info
Niumba: Holy Week in Seville
Niumba: Holy Week in Granada
Niumba: Holy Week in Cartagena
Niumba: Holy Week in Spain

Apartments in Malaga, Granada, and Seville: Holy Week, the most deep-rooted of Spanish celebrations

With the arrival of spring comes Easter week, one of Spain’s most authentic and deep-rooted of Spanish celebrations. The Semana Santa commemorates the passion and death of Jesus Christ and is a celebration with centuries of history and tradition.

The festivities begin with the Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and end with Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday). It is a celebration of life itself and the whole country comes alive. The Catholic Church in Spain is passionate about Easter celebrations.

Almost every town and city in Spain will have their own Easter celebrations. The streets of the vast majority of Spain’s cities, towns and villages become the stage for religious fervour and devotion, combining grief and meditation in memory of Christ’s death. Music, art and colour come together in magical processions - solemn parades in which crowds of people accompany religious images on their route through the towns.

It is in Seville, in Andalucía, where the most famous Easter celebrations take place. the Easter brotherhoods manage to support the immense weight of elaborately decorated statues of the Virgin Mary as they parade through the narrow streets of the old town. The parades start at first light each day and continue until three and four in the morning. The origins of these brotherhoods are said to date back from as early as the 13th century when they were bands of men organised to rescue the wounded from battlefields during the re-conquest of Spain from the Moors.

Easter week in Malaga is an ancient tradition that dates back to the age of the Catholic Monarchs and includes the ritual privilege of the freeing of a prisoner. This is one of the most emotive moments, when the figure of Jesus Christ blesses the inmate. Some tronos (floats) of Holy Week of Malaga, are so huge that they must be housed in other places different form the churches, as they are taller than the entrance doors; real walking chapels of over 5,000 kilos swung by dozens of bearers.

More info
Niumba: Holy Week in Seville
Niumba: Holy Week in Granada
Niumba: Holy Week in Cartagena