Easter Thursday
- Desfile procecional de la Pontificia y Real Archicofradía de la Santa Veracruz, Nuestro Padre Jesús en la Columna y María Santísima de la Esperanza
The Brotherhood of the True Cross was founded in 1550, the first cofradía, or church guild, to be founded in Priego after the Middle Ages. In 1644, they joined the Brotherhood of Lord Jesus Scourged, forming the Papal and Royal Arch-Brotherhood of the True Cross, Lord Jesus Scourged and Holiest Mary of Hope. It has the title of Archicofradía because it is linked to the basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome.
The early organisation had to overcome many obstacles: the chaplains and clergy of the Priego churches were opposed to its members meeting in the monastery of San Francisco, as they lost the right to donations and any control over the cofradía. An alderman of Alcalá la Real, Pedro Serrano, was brought in to resolve the dispute, which he settled by making the chaplains and the incumbents promise “to forgive all disputes and quarrels”.
The icon representing The Scourging of Jesus is thought to be the work of the Granadan sculptor Alonso de Mena, and dates back to around 1640. Its outstanding features are the sculpted ringlets of the hair, the finely detailed beard and the taut, naked torso. The figure is very similar to the Scourging of Christ in Alcalá, sculpted by the same artist: it is carved in a baroque style, but it recalls the earlier imagery of Pablo de Rojas. The figure is an embodiment of extreme suffering: contorted by intense pain, the knees bent, the body tense, with a powerful expression of profound sorrow. It is the only Priego icon to have been restored by the National Register of Fine Arts – in 1972. The figure of Our Lady of Hope dates back to 1738, and was restored by the craftsman Niceto Mateo in 1987.
The procession of The Papal and Royal Arch-Brotherhood of the True Cross, Lord Jesus Scourged,and Holiest Mary of Hope sets out from the church of San Francisco on Easter Thursday evening, and takes the following route:
Compás de San Francisco, Carrera de Álvarez, República Argentina, Ribera, Carrera de las Monjas, Palenque, Obispo Pérez Muñoz, Cevantes, Málaga, Ancha, Río, Plaza Andalucía, Mesones, Obispo Cabellero, returning to the church of San Francisco.
The True Cross leads the procession. It had become customary for female penitents – the faces hidden – to take part, and on November 19th, 1982, it was agreed that women should not only prepare the icon for the parade, but also carry it: the Brotherhood believes that this group of female bearers was the first of its kind in Spain. The True Cross is followed by the images of the Scourging of Jesus and the Virgin of Hope: in the past, the pasos, or platforms, were wheeled, but that changed many years ago, and now, 85 bearers carry the paso of Jesus and 34 carry the Virgin, each group responding to a director who gives orders by ringing a bell.
The figure of Jesus is tormented by two guards – these figures less finely sculpted — who beat him mercilessly. It is borne on a beautiful paso was made in 1975: at its head sits a child dressed as an angel, a link between this procession and the drama of the Arrest, which is also organised by this cofradía. Some thirty penitents accompany the procession, wearing white tunics with green hoods.
Over the years, various bands have provided the rhythm for the procession, but today, there are just two. In 1974, a band was formed in collaboration with the Nazareno Brotherhood, to be used in both processions, but it broke up in 1977. That same year saw the first outing of the current band, with 40 drums and 28 bass drums. The march used to accompany the figure of Jesus out of the church is a raun composed by Vicente Alcalá – unusual in that its slow, regal rhythm is reminiscent of a waltz. This band used to go so far ahead that it could not be heard by the bearers of the Scourging of Jesus, so a second band was formed in 1978: this broke up, but was reformed a few years ago. Today, it is made up of 21 drums and 12 bass drums, and it is the band which accompanies The Arrest of Christ on Easter Wednesday.
Of all the ceremonies involving this brotherhood, of particular importance is the triduo – a Mass on three consecutive days — in preparation for the Paschal Communion, celebrated on Easter Thursday at 5 o’clock in the evening.
