Holy Week in Almería

Holy Week in Almería has its origins in the 16th-century Stations of the Cross, which first set out from the Town Hall and, once the cathedral was built, from the cathedral. Much of the brotherhoods' heritage was lost in the Civil War, and in the 1940s and 1950s images were recovered and brotherhoods re-founded.

At the end of the 1940s the Association of Brotherhoods and Confraternities of Almería was created to coordinate the processions and the official route. Since the 1980s Almería's Holy Week has grown considerably in the number of brotherhoods and in heritage.

In 2019 the Spanish State granted it the title of Festival of National Tourist Interest.

The processions mainly go through the historic centre. The official route runs along the Paseo de Almería, calle General Tamayo, plaza Virgen del Mar and the cathedral square, which almost every brotherhood passes through at some point. Some brotherhoods set out from districts such as Piedras Redondas.

During Holy Week Surbus reinforces city transport with a night 'Búho' service between the centre and the eastern districts (La Cañada, El Alquián, Retamar) and a shuttle between the car park next to the fairground and the Mediterranean Games Stadium and calle Artés de Arcos in the centre. Both services accept the usual tickets and passes.

Each day of the week has its own brotherhoods: the Borriquita opens Palm Sunday and the Resucitado closes Easter Sunday. In between come confraternities such as the Gran Poder, the Amor, the Estudiantes, the Prendimiento, the Silencio, the Soledad and the Santo Sepulcro.

Chairs and stands are set up along the official route, and balconies along the routes are decorated with hangings bearing the coats of arms of the City Council and the Association. In the days before there is a proclamation speech, a saeta showcase, a sacred music series and visits to churches and brotherhood houses.