From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, every year thousands of people flock to the city to attend the numerous processions that take place on the streets of Madrid. The atmosphere created by the rolling drums, trumpets and the hundreds of religious worshippers in bright and colourful attire is the hallmark of Easter in Madrid.
Madrid commemorates the Passion and death of Jesus Christ with a packed programme of events. Churches and basilicas schedule religious music concerts, whilst numerous brotherhoods take part in processions they have been preparing for all year long. The city's best restaurants, cafés and cake shops serve traditional Easter dishes, such as torrijas (Spain's answer to French toast) and potaje de garbanzos (chickpea stew).
Processions
During Holy Week, carved images and sculptures, which spend the rest of the year housed in basilicas and churches, are adorned with candles, flowers, and richly embroidered shawls. They're then carried in procession through the streets of the city (most of them pass through Puerta del Sol - check out the official programme for more information), accompanied by dozens of penitents and borne aloft by costaleros—members of different religious guilds.
Processions start on Good Friday with Cristo del Pozo y Nuestra Señora de los Dolores and Cristo del Perdón.
Particularly noteworthy processions are two held on Palm Sunday: Nuestro Padre Jesús del Amor (La Borriquita) and Santísimo Cristo de la Fe y del Perdón (Los estudiantes), and another one held on Holy Wednesday: Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Salud and María Santísima de las Antiguas (Los gitanos).
The processions held during the Easter Triduum are those with the most recognition and followers, as they commemorate the death of Christ. The most popular are: Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder y María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena, Jesús Nazareno y la Virgen de la Soledad and Divino Cautivo (with the famous carving by Mariano Benlliure), all of which are held on Holy Thursday. Jesús Nazareno de Medinaceli, María Santísima de los Siete Dolores and Santo Entierro are held on Good Friday, and, finally, La Soledad y Desamparo takes place on Holy Saturday.
Sacred Music and La Tamborrada
Easter in Madrid always brings with it a packed cultural programme, and each year’s events include the Organ Music Series at the Church of San Ginés, where we can enjoy an array of concerts all featuring the wonderful instrument. (No. 13 Calle del Arenal).
On Sunday around noon, the Brotherhood of Jesús de la Soledad ante las Negaciones de San Pedro y San Lamberto usually performs a lively tamborrada drum parade in Plaza Mayor to mark the end of the celebrations.
Gastronomy
It's common for religious celebrations to feature traditional fare, and Easter in Madrid is no exception. Dishes enjoyed at this time of year range from soldaditos de pavía (crispy fried chunks of cod), potaje de garbanzos a la madrileña (chickpea stew with spinach, cod, potatoes and a hard-boiled egg) and croquetas de bacalao (cod croquettes) to torrijas, Spain’s answer to French toast.
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