Semana Santa In Seville

Each year, Holy Week (the week preceding Easter) in Seville is celebrated with elaborate, round-the-clock processions of baroque, life-size sacred images, borne on the shoulders of the some 50 penitential brotherhoods, organizations that date back five centuries. The image-bearers are followed by cloaked, hooded figures, the penitentes, as they wind through the streets from their home church to the center of town, a process that can take as much as 16 hours. In addition to the faithful, who regard this as a time of spiritual renewal, this observance attracts some one million tourists annually. Art historians, educated participants and clergy supply us with insights concerning the history, music, art and religious significance of the event. A well balanced, serious, enlightening and visually satisfying exploration of what initially appears to be an anachronistic custom. Should be of interest on several levels: as art and cultural history, folklore, religion, and travel. Recommended for most collections. (J. Reed)