Easter Week in Sahagún

The Leonese town of Sahagún boasts the status of being the cradle of Mudejar art. This sets the perfect backdrop for celebrating Holy Week.

It is renowned for the magnificent figures paraded, but most importantly for the popular procession led by the only Brotherhood of Jesús of Nazareth in the area. One highly anticipated moment is the Sunday before Palm Sunday (known as “Domingo Tortillero” as it was customary to snack on tortillas in the countryside), when the right to carry the figures in the processions is auctioned.Three unmissable events are the Palm Sunday procession itself, with children and palm branches as the protagonists, as well as the Holy Thursday and Good Friday processions. The Holy Thursday procession, which ends at midnight, concludes with the farewell between the statue of Jesus praying in the Orchard and the Virgin of Solitude.A few hours later, on the morning of Good Friday, the next procession is proceeded by “La Isa”, a very interesting which sees members of the brotherhood lifting an unsuspecting stranger and touching the door of the chapel of Jesus (church of San Lorenzo) with their feet, calling for the statue to depart on its procession. Once its journey comes to end, it is time for the “Bread of Jesus”: bread and pomace or wine for all attendees.The same chapel is home to the Holy Week Museum, where some of the most valuable figures are preserved. It opens in summer or special visits can be arranged with the Tourist Office.