ASdTorrevieja Information - tourist guide: Semana Santa processions for 2010

Semana Santa processions for 2010
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Keith Nicol on 17 March, 2010 12:10:00

2010 is the sixth year that ‘Los Costaleros’ will partake in Torrevieja’s
Easter processions

Torrevieja can boast to hosting at least one fiesta or festival every month of
the year with the two most important being July’s Habaneras and this month’s
Semana Santa, or Easter Week processions. Famous throughout Spain, we all have
visions of large floats with sculptures of Christ upon them being carried
through the streets and Torrevieja is no different except that the city was the
first in the world to allow an International, non-denominational Cofridia to
participate in the celebration.
2010 is the sixth year that ‘Los Costaleros’ will partake in Torrevieja’s
Easter processions. Each Easter offers a new experience for one hundred
non-Spanish residents, many of whom are non-Catholic Christians but have been
drawn to this special occasion which not only gives members a sense of pride but
also allows them to give something back to their Spanish hosts, in the name of
gratitude and integration. However Semana Santa is not just about Los Costaleros
but based around a full week of solemn processions and events throughout the
city.
Both of Torrevieja’s major musical bands supply music for Los Costaleros on
different nights but this year they are very proud to be marching to a newly
composed piece of music that has been specially composed for them by Jaime
Belda, the Director of the ‘Unión Musical Torrevejense’. Music is a very
important aspect of the processions, as the Cofradias require a steady and
specific ‘beat’ to be able to walk in time to.
The 2010 event starts at 10:00-hrs on the morning of March 28th with a
procession from the city’s main square, at the Inmaculada Concepción along
the Caballero de Rodas,  Calle Zoa to Torrevieja’s new church at Templo del
Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Later the same evening at 20:30 the Cofradías will
carry on a return trip from Sagrado Corazón de Jesús to Inmaculada
Concepción.
Programm Easter 2010
Monday March 29th is the first occasion that ‘Los Costaleros’ shall be seen
in public, splendid in their Emerald Green and Gold marching through the streets
with 1,500 kilos resting on the shoulders of around 100 strong men. The
procession starts from the Inmaculada Concepción at 22:00 hours and takes
around two hours on this short walk through the city’s major streets. Be aware
that around the area of the church, over five-thousand people will be jostling
for a good view while further along the route other open spaces to enjoy the
spectacle can be found. However, the atmosphere at Inmaculada, the anticipation
of what is about to occur, is something that every resident or visitor to
Torrevieja should experience.
Processions leave from the Inmaculada at 22:00-hrs on both Tuesday and Wednesday
with a later 23:00-hrs start scheduled for Thursday April 1st. An hour later at
midnight, 24:00 hrs: a shorter procession from the Plaza del Calvario to
Inmaculada Concepción takes place.
Good Friday falls on April 2nd and the week’s major procession is scheduled
featuring 15 of Torrevieja’s cofradias starting at 19:30 hrs from the Templo
Arciprestal de la Inmaculada Concepción and following a route along Caballero
de Rodas, Patricio Pérez, Ramón Gallud, Zoa, Ulpiano, Del Mar, Caballero de
Rodas and finishing back at Inmaculada Concepción around 23:30 hrs. Of all the
processions this is the one that everyone looks forward to and the one that
affords spectators an opportunity to see all of the major cofradias at one time.
In 2008, an estimated 10,000 people lined the streets to cheer on and applaud
the cofradias.
Processions on Saturday April 3rd begin at 22:00 hrs starting from Avda. de la
Habaneras (Estación Autobuses) and continue along Antonio Machado, Zoa,
Ulpiano, Moriones, Caballero de Rodas, Joaquín Chapaprieta, La Paz, until la
Plaza María Pastor Ramos for the first stop, continuing along Clemente
Gosálvez, Vicente Blasco Ibañez, Maldonado, (Plaza de la Constitución),
Ramón Gallud, Bazán, Caballero de Rodas, Maldonado, Bazán to finish at
Maestro Francisco Vallejos. This procession is open to everyone and consists of
walking through the streets tapping tambourines and is one of the most popular
gatherings during the week and more fun for families and children.
Easter Sunday, April 4th is an early start at 07:45 hrs from the Templo
Arciprestal de la Inmaculada Concepción, with the participation of the
Cofradía ‘San Juan Evangelista’ companied by the Banda Musical ‘Unión
Musical Torrevejense’ along Caballero de Rodas, Azorín, Fotógrafos Darblade
finishing at Concepción.
For the last two years the Good Friday processions have been rained off so
fingers are crossed for third time lucky in 2010. The Director of the Foreign
Resident’s Office, Graham Knight is the
Capataz / Padrino of the Cofradia de
Nuestro Señor Jesus en la Oración el el Huerto de los Olivos (Jesus in the
Garden of Olives) and he would like to invite everyone to come along and witness
Torrevieja’s most spectacular street fiesta.
With two nights of processions, there is always a chance that someone will have
to drop out from either one or other night and if any strong men would like to
join the Los Costaleros, there is still time to become involved as the last
training session will take place on Tuesday March 23rd and you will be most
welcome to become one of Torrevieja’s unique brotherhood. For more details,
please contact David McLachlan, on 966 700 056 (refering Torrevieja.com).
Keith Nicol