20th - 21st Centuries
History / 20th-21st centuries
However, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century when a revival of Semana Santa in Burgos took place. It appeared around the Cathedral and solemnizing the Good Friday procession, which is the origin of today’s Semana Santa.
On the 21st April 1901, Junta Reorganizadora del Santo Entierro (Reorganization Committee of the Holy Burial) is constituted to give more prominence to Good Friday procession and to increase the number of existing pasos, calling on Burgos citizens and opening a public subscription. The following year, on March 28, Good Friday, procesión del Santo Entierro (Procession of the Holy Burial) left the cathedral with four pasos: La Oración del Huerto (the Prayer in the Garden), Jesús con la Cruz a Cuestas (Jesus Carrying the Cross), El Santo Sepulcro (the Holy Sepulchre) and a figurine of La Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude), wearing a beautiful black velvet mantle with gold embroidery.
In the 1903 Good Friday procession, a new paso was added, La Flagelación (Flagellation of Christ), and in 1904, two new pasos, Coronación de Espinas (the Crowning with Thorns) and Jesús Crucificado (Crucified Jesus).
In 1905, Junta Reorganizadora and Hermandad del Santo Calvario are regrouped in a single cofradía, Hermandad del Calvario y Santo Entierro (Brotherhood of the Calvary and the Holy Burial), which will be in charge of the organization of processions and other Burgos Semana Santa events.
There are reports that in 1905, the new figurines of La Soledad and Cristo Yacente (the reclining Christ) already took part in the procesión del Santo Entierro. In 1913, the sculptor Francisco Font, from Madrid, makes the paso of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad (Our Lady of Mercy), and in 1927, the paso El Prendimiento (The Arrest), by the sculptor Pío Mollá Franch is added.
In the 40s, the figurines, which had stayed in the Cathedral until that time, were moved to the parishes that requested them. From this moment on the cofradías that exist today began to be created and to participate in the Good Friday procession with the figurines of artistic value that stayed in those churches, like the above-mentioned: Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, from San Gil, or Jesús atado a la Columna, from the Cathedral, taken over by Congregación del Círculo (Círculo Congregation)—nowadays, Cofradía de la Santa Columna (Cofradía of the Holy Column).
The paso of El Descendimiento (The Descent from the Cross), by the sculptor Juan González Moreno, is purchased in 1954 by Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Burgos, and in 1969 the paso of El Santo Sudario (The holy Shroud), by the sculptor from Burgos, Fortunato Sotillo, commissioned by Cofradía de la Santa Columna was added to the procession.
In 1925, newspapers highlighted the organization of procesión del Santo Entierro "it was perfect, there were already two more pasos, and a parish and a pious association had taken charge of the accompaniment, decoration, and escort for each one...” In the Good Friday procession of 16th April 1927, following the establishment of the Hermandad del Santo Sepulcro (Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre), the first independent cofradía of Semana Santa after the founding of the Hermandad del Calvario y Santo Entierro in the early 20th century. Fourteen of its cofrades escorted its paso wearing for the first time their habit consisting of a white robe, purple cape, cincture and capirote and black gloves. Those were the first capirotes to be seen in Burgos Semana Santa. The next, in 1931, will be Hermandad de Nazarenos de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad (Brotherhood of Nazarenos of Our Lady of Mercy), based in Padres Carmelitas Descalzos convent.
When the Civil War ended, in Burgos as in several Spanish cities, a new feeling towards Semana Santa arose and led to the establishment of numerous cofradías and the creation of new processional marches, which shaped the current Burgos Semana Santa. In 1944, in Santa Águeda Parish, Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (Cofradía of Our Lady of Solitude) was founded; in San Gil Parish, Real Hermandad de la Sangre del Cristo de Burgos y Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Royal Brotherhood of Burgos Christ’s Blood and Our Lady of Sorrows) was created based on the former Cofradía Noble de la Sangre de Cristo (Noble Cofradía of Christ’s Blood), existing since 1592 in the Holy Trinity abbey; and in San Cosme y San Damián Parish, the former Cofradía del Santísimo Sacramento (Cofradía of the Most Holy Sacrament), founded in 1794, endorses new statutes and the Ilustre Archicofradía del Santísimo Sacramento y Jesús con la Cruz a Cuestas (Distinguished cofradía of the Most Holy Sacrament and Jesus Carrying the Cross) is born.
These two last cofradías agreed to perform Procesión del Encuentro (Procession of the Encounter) with their main figurines on Maundy Thursday evening for the first time in 1948. Apart from Procesión del Santo Entierro, this will be the most beloved procession among Burgos citizens, who gather in Rey San Fernando Square to watch and recall the encounter between the Sorrowful Mother and her son on the way to the Calvary.
Although for years they already used to escort the paso Oración del Huerto, the members of Congregación Mariana de Burgos (Burgos Marian Congregation) founded Hermandad de Santa María y la Oración del Huerto (Brotherhood of Saint Mary and the Prayer in the Garden), canonically established in La Merced church. That same year Cofradía de la Coronación de Espinas, based on San Lorenzo church, and Cofradía de Jesús Crucificado y del Santísimo Sacramento, established in San Lesmes church, are both founded, worshipping the pasos Coronación de Espinas and del Calvario, respectively.
In 1946, is when Cofradía de Jesús Crucificado y del Santísimo Sacramento from San Lesmes parish, decides to arrange a solemn Way of the Crosson Holy Wednesday evening, thus giving rise to Procesión de la Crucifixión del Señor (Procession of the Crucifixion of the Lord) and penitential Way of the Cross. The paso Jesús Crucificado, escorted by its cofrades and worshippers was carried to Plaza Mayor (the main square), and placed under the main balcony of the City Hall, from where preacher in charge lead the prayer of the 14 stations. These were signed around the square by fourteen ivy-embellished crosses. At the end, just as solemnly, the paso was carried back to its parish. Some years later, in 1956, some complaints arouse as it could be interpreted that, with this procession, San Lesmes parish was invading the territory of another parish. To avoid futile controversy, in 1957, the cofradía decides to change the procession with their paso along La Puebla street until Libertad square, organizing the Way of the Cross in front of Casa del Cordón. At the end, the procession continued along Santander and San Juan streets, coming back to the parish church. After some years when, the procession could not be organized due to the lack of cofrades, around 1985, it walks the streets again, praying the fourteen stations along the way.
In 1947, in Santiago y Santa Águeda parish, Triduo a la Soledad is established and with it, Holy Wednesday procession. The Virgin, is borne by twelve costaleros— who will be up to 16 in the following years— to the Cathedral, where her altar is still preserved and where the numerous devotees of the figurine will come to venerate it on the most important days of Semana Santa.
This procession will also be warmly welcomed by the people of Burgos who accompany it from their parish church to the cathedral, stopping at the Convent of the Salesian Sisters—to visit the nuns who embroidered the Virgin's mantle—and at the prison (established in the old Alhóndiga, near the church, and now home to the Francisco de Salinas Cultural Center), where, in memory of the Gospel passage about Jesus and Barabbas, a prisoner is granted his freedom, a privilege that the venerated figurine enjoyed until 1968. Later on, this procession of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was moved to Holy Saturday, when Hermandad de Nazarenos de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad decided not to procession on that day, and since 1971, they walk through the streets of the parish.
Also in 1948, Cofradía de Jesús Crucificado began to celebrate the popular devotion of the Ejercicio de las Siete Palabras (Procession of the Seven Last Words of Jesus), a ceremony that lasted three hours, the historical time of Calvary, in which the preacher slowly recounted the feelings of Jesus Christ in the moments of his agony. The ceremony was hold inside the church, the paso of the Crucifixion was placed on the central nave of the temple, thereby enhancing the solemnity.
In January, 1949, Cofradía de la Congregación del Círculo was created (which in 1953 would definitively adopt its current name, Cofradía de la Santa Columna), when they take charge of the paso Jesús atado a la Columna—kept in the cathedral— establishing its base on la Merced church.
The Palm Procession, affectionately called "La Borriquilla” (the donkey), first walked the streets in Burgos on Palm Sunday of 1949.
Paso del Prendimiento (Paso of the Arrest) is transferred from San Pedro y San Felices parish to San Julián parish, where a cofradía with the same name is established in the 1950s. It is borne in procession until the year 1974, when it is assigned to San Martín de Porres parish, the current site of Cofradía de El Prendimiento (Cofradía of the Arrest), refunded in 1985. Paso de la Flagelación (Paso of the Flagellation of Christ) is hosted in San Esteban Protomártir parish, establishing Cofradía de la Flagelación del Señor (Cofradía of the Flagellation of Christ) in 1961, although they already used to escort the paso since at least 1934. A few years before, in 1954, Cofradía del Descendimiento (Cofradía of The Descent from the Cross) was founded within Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Burgos (a local bank); it was the only cofradía that was not canonically affiliated with any church until 2007. Its paso had been transferred to Junta de Semana Santa de Burgos and it was then bestowed on San José Obrero parish, where the cofradía, which is in charge of bearing this paso on Good Friday evening was being created.
In 1961 procesión del Rosario Penitencial Obrero (Workers' Penitential Rosary
procession), is first organized by Cofradía de la Santa Columna, which currently processes on Holy Tuesday evening, with the figurines of Santo Sudario and Jesús atado a la Columna (replica that replaces the image of Diego de Siloé in the Cathedral and which has always been borne in procession by the cofradía).
After several years of general crisis affecting every cofradía, Burgos Semana Santa, and with it its processions, remerges in 1985, when in San Fernando Rey parish Cofradía de las Siete Palabras (Cofradía of the Seven Last Words of Jesus) is refunded, reviving for Good Friday’s procession, the seven lantern crosses bearing the seven words spoken by Christ on the Cross. These crosses after which the cofradía is named, had been built by Casa Quintana in Zaragoza in 1902, and are accompanied by the figurine of Cristo de San Esteban de los Olmos—replica of Santísimo Cristo de Burgos—.
In recent years, the Way of the Cross has once again taken centre stage. On Holy Monday night, it winds its way through the castle (the stations are the work of Burgos sculptor Pablo Barbadillo). The following processions have also joined Burgos Semana Santa: Procesión de la Virgen de los Dolores, organized by Cofradía de la Oración del Huerto, that walks through San Pedro de la Fuente neighbourhood on Friday of Sorrows evening; Procesión de las Siete Palabras, walking with its main pasos around San Fernando Rey parish, on Good Friday morning.
In 2004 procesión de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia y de la Esperanza (procession of Our Lady of Mercy and Hope) was first held in Gamonal neighbourhood with a new figurine commissioned by Junta de Semana Santa de Burgos to the sculptor Paco Conesa, and it was transferred last year to the cofradía of the same name established in Nuestra Señora de Fátima parish.
Semana Santa events culminate on Easter Sunday morning when procession of Virgen de la Alegría (Virgin of Joy), leaves San Nicolás de Bari church, accompanied by its ancient cofradía, and, in the style of a Castilian pilgrimage, walks through the streets of the old city announcing the good news of the Resurrection, until it reaches Plaza de Santa María where the popular Salve is sung. It is a day of joy and happiness. On Resurrection Sunday, joyful bells ring out, solemn music and dulzaina tunes sound, escorting Virgen de la Alegría and her bright smile.
In this last procession a figurine of the Risen Christ was included, in the year 2004. This figurine existed in Museo del Retablo (San Esteban Church), as the new sculpture commissioned by Junta de Semana Santa de Burgos was still unfinished. In 2005 the slender figure of the Risen Christ, created by sculptor Manuel López, was unveiled for the first time. It was transferred to the cofradía of the same name, based on Sagrada Familia parish. Thus, Christ meets his Mother once again in Plaza Mayor, this time to the strains of Handel's “Hallelujah,” and both figurines continue on to the Plaza del Rey San Fernando, where, at the foot of Burgos Cathedral, Danza del Santo, Cantigas de Nuestra Señora, and other Castilian jotas are performed after the Archbishop of Burgos has given a speech announcing the joy of Easter, thus bringing our Semana Santa to a magnificent close.
