History
The liturgical celebrations during the Holy Week are much older than their first public portrayal through the processions and are mentioned for example by Eusebius Panphili, bishop of Cesarea (about 260 our calendar), and Dionysios of Alexandria (*ca. 180, + ca. 165).
The processions of the Holy Week as they are celebrated today for example in Murcia are a public act of faith whose roots can be found far back in history. Originally they go back to the end of the 13th century in Italy where the stations of the Cross (Vía Crucis) were displayed organized by brotherhoods with lay character. The members of these organizations took part in order to do penance and request forgiveness for their sins from God. The participation in the Vía Crucis and the liturgical events was obligatory for the members of the brotherhoods, but their primary task -during the rest of the year- was to do charitable work and to strenghten the Christian faith in the people.
In Andalusia, Levante, Castile, some regions of northern Spain, Catalonia and the southeast of Spain different forms of processions developed starting in the 14th century. Only slowly spreading before the Council of Trient (1545-1563 our calendar) failed the Easter processions became the outer manifestation and representation of power of the Roman-catholic church in Spain. In Murcia the first processions took place in at beginning of the 15th century. Already at this time organized by the Franciscan Order the Passion of Christ and the faith in resurrection was celebrated with long rows of penitents and many pasos. Until the 19th century social work was still the center of the brotherhoods' work, but with the beginning of the 20th century they started to put most of their work in the processions. Still the penitential character and the faith in resurrection of Jesus Christ are a central aspect for the members.
The works shown in the Semana Santa represent artists from all of Spain's schools of art and one of their best known representants is the sculptor Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz from Murcia for whom the people of Murcia feel a great affinity. But other artists also have a great influence on the processions of the Holy Week, for example Diego de Ayala and Domingo Beltrán (both 16th century), and Nicolás de Bussy and Juan Aguilera (both 17th century). Nicolás and Francisco Salzillo and also roque López represent the 18th century. The 19th century is represented by Santiago Baglietto and Daiman Pastor. José Sanchez Lozano, José Hernandez navarro, Antonio Labaña Serrano, Manuel Ardil Pagán and many others are sculptors whose works can be seen during the Holy Week. However the style of the 18th century dominates the appearance of the sculptures and therefore the processions resemble a time-travel to baroque Murcia.