Salamanca Easter

Easter catholic tradition in Salamanca

By Francisco Morais

April 19^th, 2015

The city was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vacceos, a Celtic tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. In the 3rd century BC, Beto laid siege to the city. With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city of Helmantica, as it was known, began to take more importance as a commercial hub in the Roman Hispania due to its favorable location. Salamanca lay on a Roman road, known as the Vía de la Plata, which connected it with Emerita Augusta (present day Mérida) to the south and Asturica Augusta (present-day Astorga) to the north. Its Roman bridge dates from the 1st century, and was a part of this road. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the Alans established in Lusitania, and Salamanca was part of this region. Later the city was conquered by the Visigoths and included in their territory. The city was already an episcopal see, and signatures of bishops of Salamanca are found in the Councils of Toledo. Salamanca surrendered to the Moors, led by Musa bin Nusair, in the year 712 AD. For years this area between the south of Duero River and the north of Tormes River, became the main battlefield between the Christian kingdoms and the Muslim Al-Andalus rulers. The constant fighting of the Kingdom of León first, and the Kingdom of Castile and León later against the Caliphate depopulated Salamanca and reduced it to an unimportant settlement. After the battle of Simancas (939) the Christians resettled this area. After the capture of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085, the definitive resettlement of the city took place. Raymond of Burgundy, instructed by his father-in-law Alfonso VI of León, led a group of settlers of various origins in 1102. One of the most important moments in Salamanca‘s history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX of León granted a royal charter to the University of Salamanca, although formal teaching had existed at least since 1130. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe. During the 16th century the city reached its height of splendor (around 6,500 students and a total population of 24,000). During that period the University of Salamanca hosted the most important intellectuals of the time; these groups of mostly-Dominican scholars were designated the School of Salamanca. The juridical doctrine of the School of Salamanca represented the end of medieval concepts of law, and founded the fundamental body of the ulterior European law and morality concepts, including rights as a corporeal being (right to life), economic rights (right to own property) and spiritual rights (rights to freedom of thought and rights related to intrinsic human dignity).

In 1551 the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered an inquiry to find out if the science of Andreas Vesalius, physician and anatomist, was in line with Catholic doctrine. Vesalius came to Salamanca that same year to appear before the board and was acquitted. Salamanca suffered the general downturns of the Kingdom of Castile during the 17th century, but in the 18th century it experienced a rebirth. In this period the new baroque Cathedral and main square (Plaza Mayor) were finished. In the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic campaigns, the Battle of Salamanca, fought on July 22, 1812, was a serious setback for the French, and a mighty setback for Salamanca, whose western quarter was seriously damaged. The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history; many thousands of men were slaughtered by cannon fire in the space of only a few short hours. Salamanca City map in 1858, Spanish edition During the devastating Spanish Civil War (1936–39) the city quickly went over to the Nationalist side and was used as the de facto capital. Franco was named Generalissimo on 21 September 1937 while at the city, and in the same year was formed, by a decree signed in the city, the official fascist party that ruled Spain until the end of the Francoist regime, officially suppressing any other political party. The Nationalists soon moved most of the administrative departments to Burgos, which being more central was better suited for this purpose. However, some administrative departments, Franco‘s headquarters (located at the Palacio Episcopal, next to the Old Cathedral) and the military commands stayed in Salamanca, along with the German and Italian fascist delegations, making it the de facto Nationalist capital and centre of power during the entire civil war.Like much of fervently Catholic and largely rural Leon and Old Castile regions, Salamanca was a staunch supporter of the Nationalist side and Francisco Franco‘s regime for its long duration. In 1988 the old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1998 it was declared a European Capital of Culture for year 2002 (shared with Bruges). During 14 and 15 October 2005 it hosted the XV the Ibero-American Summits of Heads of State and Governments. Since 1996 Salamanca has been the designated site of the archives of the Spanish Civil War (Archivo General de la Guerra Civil Española). The original documents were assembled by the Francoist regime, selectively obtained from the administrative departments of various institutions and organizations during the Spanish Civil War as a repressive instrument used against opposition groups and individuals.The socialist government moved the Catalan part of the archive to Barcelona in 2006 despite opposition from the local authorities and popular protests.

In 1218, Alfonso IX of León founded the University of Salamanca. Under the patronage of the learned Alfonso X, its wealth and reputation greatly increased (1252–1282), and its schools of canon law and civil law attracted students even from the Universities of Paris and Bologna.[when?] In the 16th century, the city‘s fortunes depended on those of the university. About the time Christopher Columbus was lecturing there on his discoveries, Hernán Cortés took classes at Salamanca, but returned home in 1501 at age 17, without completing his course of study. (About ten years later the conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was born in Salamanca.) It was scholars of the University such as Francisco de Vitoria who, heavily influenced by the Paris-based Scottish philosopher John Mair, helped design in 1512 the Laws of Burgos which established the right to life and liberty of the indigenous peoples of America. Ignatius Loyola, while studying at Salamanca in 1527, was brought before an ecclesiastical commission on a charge of sympathy with the Illuminati, but escaped with a warning.[citation needed] In the next generation St. John of the Cross studied at Salamanca and so did the poet and writer Mateo Aleman. Miguel de Unamuno was a prominent figure of the university in more modern times. Many people continue to come from all parts of Spain to study at the university, and the students represent a significant percentage of the city‘s population (the University has 36,000 students, approximately). The support of the student population is one of the most important economic activities in the city. These young people (including international students studying the Spanish language) provide Salamanca with a highly active night life, especially when school is in session on both weekdays and weekends. Among the American universities that sponsor significant summer semester programs are the University of Connecticut, Wake Forest University, Lamar University of Beaumont,Texas, Lamar State College of Port Arthur,Texas and the University of Georgia. This has led Salamanca to be at the top of lists of cities with the highest bar per inhabitant ratios in Europe, second only to Bilbao .

Holy Week

The Holy Week in Salamanca (Semana Santa) is the most well-known of Salamanca‘s festivals. Salamanca is renowned for the solemn and sober processions celebrated during Holy Week. 16 confraternities, 10.000 brothers or “cofrades“, 50 floats or “pasos“ celebrate the Passion of Christ with 20 processions and thousands of followers, tourist and visitors. Some of the celebrations have been performed for centuries. The confraternities carry artistic pasos created by important Spanish artists such as Luis Salvador Carmona, Alejandro Carnicero or Mariano Benlliure. in 2003 the Semana Santa of Salamanca obtained the official declaration of International Touristic Interest.

Processions

Processions are the main event of Semana Santa in Salamanca. Every fraternity organizes its own procession. Some of them organize more than one parade during the week, following the Castilian tradition. Generally speaking the processions walk through the city center, from their home Church to the Cathedral and Plaza Mayor or surroundings. However, there are a few exceptions that make every parade unique. All processions have the same structure: Flag of the brotherhood of the Donkey A guiding cross opens the parade. A number of penitents dressed with the robe or habit of the brotherhood. A few of them carry flags to announce which brootherhood is making penance. Most brothers accompany the parade with candels or sticks with crosses. Other carry heavy crosses and chains. Some of them might walk barefoot. In some cases, a group of acolytes The paso or pasos Presidency that always includes the presence of the titular chaplain of the brotherhood in full processional vestments. A few members of other fraternities may accompany as well, as a courtesy and in the important parades such as the Holy Entombment of Christ the Bishop of Salamanca presides the procession. Marching band Some processions do not use bands, walking just with the accompaniment of choirs or wind instrument trios such as the Cristo de la Liberación. The Vera Cruz walks in complete silence on its procession in Monday of Holy Week. Typically, a procession can be made up from a few hundred to near 3,000 brothers (Loneliness brotherhood for example) and last anywhere from 4 to 7 hours. The largest processions can take over an hour to cross one particular spot.

The "pasos"

The pasos are the core of the festival. They consist of a wooden sculpture or group of sculptures that narrates a scene from the Passion of Christ. They are carried by porters in a platform or staves. The porters are called hermanos de paso or brothers of the paso. Men and women carry the floats. A minority of pasos are carried on structures with wheels due to its heaviness.

History

The earliest references about penance processions in Salamanca go back to 1240, when the first penitents were organized around the Franciscans. In 1506 the Cofradia de la Vera Cruz (Brotherhood of the True Cross) was established in the Convent of San Francisco, following the medieval tradition. Starting in the 16th century, this fraternity run a Hospital and a Print. The brothers also built their own church. With the Council of Trento (1545 - 1563) and the Counterreformation popular piety was supported by the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, processions became even more important, specially those of Corpus Christi and Holy Week. Also, during the Baroque period wooden pasos were introduced as we know them today and became essential to the Holy Week commemoration. In 1615 the Cofradía de la Vera Cruz established the Acto del Descendimiento or Descent from the Cross and the Procesión del Santo Entierro or Holy Entombment of Christ Procession. In 1616 was celebrated for the first time the Procesión del Encuentro or the Resurrection Procession. These celebrations had two intentions: the first one was to teach the illiterate people of Salamanca the events of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. These baroque celebrations were very theatrical so anyone could understand the sacred history. The second intention was to provided an organized penance processions to the sinners. The only fraternity allowed to perform these celebrations was the Vera Cruz. Commemoration of the Descent from the Cross by the Brotherhood of la Vera Cruz These processions are performed in the present and are the quintessential events of the Holy Week in Salamanca. The Chapel of the Brotherhood of la Vera Cruz La Vera Cruz became very powerful and wealthy in the 18th century. The brothers commissioned to the Churriguera family a lavish decoration of their church that includes three altar pieces, holding in its interior not only the pasos but many other art pieces such as paintings and silverware. During this century, the fraternity also commissioned the best sculptures for the processions such as La Flagelación, Ecce Homo by Alejandro Carnicero or La Dolorosa by Felipe del Corral. This pasos still are some of the best examples of baroque art in Salamanca. In the 18th and 19th centuries other fraternities joined the processions of la Vera Cruz: Jesús Nazareno did so in 1715 thus was created in 1688, Jesús Rescatado in 1860 (created in 1689) and La Soledad in 1890 (origins in 1645). These processions were celebrated exclusively in Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In the 20th century were established the majority of the fraternities. Since 1900‘s there was an increasing interest in improving the Holy Week in Salamanca. Guilds and professional unions took action and created more brotherhoods. In 1913 the retailers created a section inside la Vera Cruz that a few years later would become the brotherhood of Jesús Flagelado. In 1926 the local Chamber of trade and commerce created the Cristo de la Agonia again in the convent of the franciscans. Some other improvements were made to the already existing pasos and fraternities. Brothers of the Cofradía del Amor y de la Paz (Love and Peace) After the Spanish Civil War 9 more fraternities were created. Since the mid 1940s there were processions everyday from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday in Salamanca. The social atmosphere of the Franquism was very supportive of this kind of Catholic celebration. At the end of the Dictatorship of General Franco Holy Week in Salamanca experienced a deep crisis. Many fraternities stopped their activities and some of them were extinguished. The participants were so few that the entire celebration was on the edge of disappearance. However, in 1971 a new brotherhood was created, the Cristo del Amor y de la Paz (Jesus of Love and Peace). This fraternity updated the celebration and included the new lines proposed in the Vatican Council II. Their actions greatly helped to recover the interest of the locals in the Semana Santa. Between 1984 and 2008, 4 new fraternities have been created, and many new pasos have been introduced. Nowadays, 10,000 people have joined the fraternities and participate in the processions. In 2003 Holy Week in Salamanca was declared Fiesta of International Tourist Interest of Spain.