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The March of the Crucified in Valverde de la Vera Apr 09, 2009Today, April 9th, in the Spanish town Valverde de la Vera, located in the province of Caceres, an unusual event shall take place. What makes it so unordinary is the fact that among the participants there are people who volunteered to be tied to crosses. Every “crucified” person wears a crown of thorns. It is believed that in such a way the volunteers will be able to repeat Christ’s path to Golgotha and be cleansed of all the sins committed during the year. The most fanatical of the participants in the procession whip themselves or walk chained. Their faces are usually covered to protect their identities. Another detail that makes the process special is the fact that it takes place at night with torches lighting the way.
The time for the procession is not randomly chosen, it takes place during the week of saints, exactly seven days prior to Easter. During this week processions take place all across the country enacting biblical stories related to the suffering and death of Christ. The tradition of organizing such processions comes from medieval times, when various heretical rituals along with religious traditions were widespread in Spain. By the end of the 18th Century they were all forbidden by Charles the 3rd. However, some of the traditions, such as today’s procession, were revived and became popular once again. Valverde de la Vera is one of the places in the South of Spain where such type of traditions is especially strong. Back to news
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