Latest news with #SemanaSanta
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Hans India
A journey through Zamora's Semana Santa
I was on my way to Zamora city, the capital of Zamora province in the Castile and León region of northwest Spain- a less explored and charming part of the country. Outside, swathes of golden rape fields and emerald meadows stretched like silken tapestries, while the icy breath of a one-degree morning clung to the car windows. I was en route to witness Semana Santa—the Holy Week—in this ancient city, often called Spain's Romanesque treasure. Zamora, perched above the Duero River, is a city suspended in time. With the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe—24 dating from the 12th and 13th centuries—it's often described as a living museum of stone and faith. I checked into the Palacio del Duero, a tranquil hotel carved out of a 14th-century convent, and met my guide, Cristina, who led me through the heart of Zamora's storied past. We began at Balborraz Street, a medieval artery sloping steeply toward the river lined with picturesque low-rise houses with balconies and wooden gazebos that overlook the street. This street hosts one of the key processions of Holy Week, and the air seemed to echo with the slow, solemn steps of hooded penitents. Everywhere we walked, I found the city reflecting the mood of the Holy Week: right from Semana Santa inspired window dressings to figurines of Christ in sorrow. Traffic lights were discreetly covered so as not to disturb the sacred aesthetic during processions. The statue of the Merlú in Plaza Mayor captivated me—two bronze figures frozen in time, playing the drum and the cornet. They once roamed the city at dawn, waking the faithful for the processions. Thetradition continues even today, at 5 a.m. on Good Friday, five such pairs march through the streets, their haunting rhythms stirring souls from sleep. Cristina led me through the Romanesque mile: San Juan de Puerta Nueva, with its beautiful rose window; Santa María Magdalena, home to a mystical sepulchre and a smiling Christ, decorative elements, and stunning apse. San Isidoro, San Vicente, and Santiago del Burgo, each had its own charm. The Church of San Pedro y San Ildefonso (the Saint patron of Zamora) houses the relics of San Ildefonso and San Atilano. Here the Virgin of Beautiful Love—Virgen del Amor Hermoso, carved in wood, is adorned with real earrings donated by devotees seeking good fortune in love. She is depicted triumphing over evil, her foot crushing a devil-serpent bearing an apple in its jaws. We went past the Theatre of Ramos Carrion-a beautiful blue building; explored Viriato Square with the imposing sculpture of the Portuguese shepherd; admired the 'Stone Bridge', one of the most iconic landmarks of Zamora- a Romanesque bridge from the 12th century consisting of sixteen oval arches that elegantly span the river. The Cathedral of Zamora stood like a sentinel over the city, crowned with its unique Byzantine dome. Christoph Strieder- councillor of tourism in the town hall of Zamora, my cheerful host, received me warmly, took me around and introduced me to the local luminaries. Inside the cathedral, light filtered softly over carved choir stalls and Renaissance gates. I felt I was in a period filmset: clergymen in velvet robes and rosaries holding staffs and the brotherhood standing solemnly in penitence. Protected from the cold I sat snugly inside the church and watched as they prepared for the procession. As hundreds of people viewed through the last rays of the sun, the solemn gathering in front of the cathedral made a picture of divine spirituality. Incense permeated the air as the penitents took an oath of silence. Holding candles, they then started moving slowly and so did the Pasos, carried reverently by the brotherhood members. As I watched a stork feeding her young atop the Cathedral, with passion flowers blooming below, I knew I hadn't merely observed Semana Santa—I had lived it, in a city where faith is etched in every stone and whispered in every silence.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spanish Holy Week procession footage misrepresented as Pope Francis funeral
'The Pope LOOKS LIKE he is literally having a SATANIC Ritual as a funeral,' read the caption on a Facebook video published on April 22, 2025. The post has been shared more than 1,800 times. The short clip shows a procession of people wearing robes and black hooded masks while holding illuminated staffs as they march to a drum inside a church. A red inverted cross with a rooster is embroidered on the outfits. The same video was also shared alongside similar claims in Spanish and on other platforms, including Instagram and X. Pope Francis died of a stroke and cardiac arrest on April 21, 2025, according to official records. He lay in state at Saint Peter's Basilica for three days of mourning before he was buried on April 26, 2025 (archived here). He was interred at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome after a funeral mass in St Peter's Square in the Vatican (archived here). However, claims that the video of robed figures shows the late pope's funeral are false. A reverse image search of keyframes from the false video found other videos of similar religious ceremonies. One of the results shows a similar scene of the same penitents in a video published on TikTok in 2024 by an account dedicated to the Holy Week processions in Cartagena (archived here). Holy Week, or Semana Santa, in Cartagena is a tradition that attracts hordes of tourists to the region for ten days of processions leading to Easter Sunday. The video caption in Spanish reads: 'Tercio del Arrepentimiento De San Pedro Miércoles Santo 2024', which translates to, 'Third of the Repentance of Saint Peter Holy Wednesday 2024'. A Google search of the Spanish caption led to a page about the San Pedro Apóstol Association, California Brotherhood in Cartagena, Spain, which shows and describes the same ceremonial attire seen in the video circulating online (archived here). Contacted by AFP Fact Check, the San Pedro Apostol Association said the video shows 'the departure of this Holy Wednesday's procession of our female contingent from the church of Santa María de Gracia in Cartagena'. Holy Wednesday was celebrated on April 16 this year, five days before Pope Francis died. 'Regarding the symbols, the inverted cross, also known as the cross of Saint Peter, represents humility, the feeling of not being worthy of being crucified like his master,' San Pedro Apostol wrote in an email. San Pedro Apostol said the rooster refers to Jesus' prophecy to Peter, in Matthew 26:34, which reads: 'Jesus said to him: 'Truly I tell you, this night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times'.' 'These symbols refer to the life of Saint Peter, which, along with many others, we parade during Holy Week in Cartagena.' AFP also geolocated the 2024 TikTok video of the San Pedro Apostol Association's procession to Cartagena by matching a distinctive building that now houses a restaurant called 'Vinarte'. In 2019, according to Google Maps, it was the site of a clothing store called Love & Paradise (archived here and here). Cardinals will meet on May 7, 2025, in a secret conclave to elect the new pope, the Vatican announced on April 28, 2025 (archived here). AFP Fact Check has debunked other false claims related to the death of Pope Francis, including here and here.
AFP
02-05-2025
- AFP
Spanish Holy Week procession footage misrepresented as Pope Francis funeral
'The Pope LOOKS LIKE he is literally having a SATANIC Ritual as a funeral,' read the caption on a Facebook video published on April 22, 2025. The post has been shared more than 1,800 times. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, published on April 22, 2025 The short clip shows a procession of people wearing robes and black hooded masks while holding illuminated staffs as they march to a drum inside a church. A red inverted cross with a rooster is embroidered on the outfits. The same video was also shared alongside similar claims in Spanish and on other platforms, including Instagram and X. Pope Francis died of a stroke and cardiac arrest on April 21, 2025, according to official records. He lay in state at Saint Peter's Basilica for three days of mourning before he was buried on April 26, 2025 (archived here). He was interred at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome after a funeral mass in St Peter's Square in the Vatican (archived here). However, claims that the video of robed figures shows the late pope's funeral are false. Holy Week clip A reverse image search of keyframes from the false video found other videos of similar religious ceremonies. One of the results shows a similar scene of the same penitents in a video published on TikTok in 2024 by an account dedicated to the Holy Week processions in Cartagena (archived here). Holy Week, or Semana Santa, in Cartagena is a tradition that attracts hordes of tourists to the region for ten days of processions leading to Easter Sunday. The video caption in Spanish reads: 'Tercio del Arrepentimiento De San Pedro Miércoles Santo 2024', which translates to, 'Third of the Repentance of Saint Peter Holy Wednesday 2024'. A Google search of the Spanish caption led to a page about the San Pedro Apóstol Association, California Brotherhood in Cartagena, Spain, which shows and describes the same ceremonial attire seen in the video circulating online (archived here). Image Screenshot of the emblem on the video compared with the San Pedro Apostol Association website Contacted by AFP Fact Check, the San Pedro Apostol Association said the video shows 'the departure of this Holy Wednesday's procession of our female contingent from the church of Santa María de Gracia in Cartagena'. Holy Wednesday was celebrated on April 16 this year, five days before Pope Francis died. 'Regarding the symbols, the inverted cross, also known as the cross of Saint Peter, represents humility, the feeling of not being worthy of being crucified like his master,' San Pedro Apostol wrote in an email. San Pedro Apostol said the rooster refers to Jesus' prophecy to Peter, in Matthew 26:34, which reads: 'Jesus said to him: 'Truly I tell you, this night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times'.' 'These symbols refer to the life of Saint Peter, which, along with many others, we parade during Holy Week in Cartagena.' AFP also geolocated the 2024 TikTok video of the San Pedro Apostol Association's procession to Cartagena by matching a distinctive building that now houses a restaurant called 'Vinarte'. In 2019, according to Google Maps, it was the site of a clothing store called Love & Paradise (archived here and here). Image Screenshots comparing the video (left) to the location as it was seen in 2019 on Google Maps Cardinals will meet on May 7, 2025, in a secret conclave to elect the new pope, the Vatican announced on April 28, 2025 (archived here). AFP Fact Check has debunked other false claims related to the death of Pope Francis, including here and here.
Local Spain
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Local Spain
What will the weather be like in Spain this Easter?
Weather If you're coming to Spain this Easter break or you live here and you'll be enjoying some time off from work, you'll want to know what the weather forecast is so you can plan accordingly. Now that Easter week, known as Semana Santa in Spain, has officially begun in Spain, weather forecasts are a lot more accurate, so it's easier to plan for the holidays and decide how you want to spend your time off. Unfortunately, according to Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET, it looks like the rain will return to Spain over Holy Week with cooler temperatures than the previous week and periods of instability. The main exception, however will be Maundy Thursday April 17th, when the rainfall will ease and temperatures will rise. Luckily Thursday is a holiday in most regions across the country, except Catalonia and Valencia. Monday April 14th The change in the weather is mostly due to an Atlantic front expected to arrive in Galicia this Monday April 14th, affecting the Iberian Peninsula until Wednesday and bringing widespread rainfall. Rain will be more intense across the Galician coast and will be less likely and less intense in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. But, rain is forecast for the Balearic Islands Monday morning, April 14th, as well as in the northeast corner of the peninsula, such as Catalonia and Aragón. The weather is Andalusia is also likely to be rainier than usual throughout the week, apart from Thursday. Strong winds are predicted for Galicia, the northeastern corner of the country and the Balearics in the early part of the week. In the Canary Islands, meanwhile, there will be cloudy periods, with light rainfall in the northern mountainous islands, with occasional showers ruled out elsewhere, with little change in temperatures and moderate northerly winds. Tuesday April 15th On Tuesday, April 15th a drop in temperatures has been predicted. This will cause "significant snowfall" in the main mountain ranges, which will continue Wednesday, explained AEMET. Wednesday April 16th The wind will continue to intensify, with "likely coastal storms" in the Cantabrian Sea on Wednesday with some "very strong gusts of wind" not being ruled out in inland areas of the eastern part of the country. In the Canary Islands, the trade winds will continue to blow, with a low probability of light rain in the north. Thursday April 17th On Thursday April 17th, the weather is set to improve with a break from the rain and a rise in temperatures across most of the country. The main exception will be in Galicia, where a new weather front is expected to approach. Friday April 18th and Saturday April 19th Looking ahead to Good Friday and Saturday, AEMET has predicted that this weather front will spread across the country, bringing yet more rain and a drop in temperatures to all regions. In the Canary Islands, the trade winds will continue, and there is a "small chance of light rain" in the north of the archipelago. Easter Sunday April 20th and Easter Monday April 21st As for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, AEMET have said "uncertainty is high", but that "most scenarios" indicate instability in the weather in the northern part of the country with probability of rain and even snow in mountainous areas. See Also
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Blood rain' to make muddy mess in Spain, Portugal
Several tourists in the Plaza de España during the rainy afternoon in Seville with a dust cloud, on March 24, 2022 in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). (Photo By Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press via Getty Images) Spain and Portugal will soon be drenched in an unusual phenomenon known as "blood rain," which can coat everything in a layer of dust and dirt as the weekend approaches. This discolored rain will result from a cloud of dust from Africa merging with a storm moving into western Europe later this week. The dust will mix with the rain, causing it to appear red or rusty orange as it falls. The sky may also appear orange or tan in color, giving an eerie appearance to anyone venturing outside in the dirty rain. It's not just the color of the rain that will be different. The dust in the rain droplets will stick to cars, buildings, sidewalks, and anything outside. As the rainwater runs off or evaporates, it will leave behind dirty surfaces. This phenomenon is also known as "mud rain" due to the dust and dirt left behind. Cars full of mud on the day the so-called 'mud rain', a combination of a Saharan dust cloud with a squall, occurred this morning in the Andalusian capital, March 15, 2022 in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). (Photo By Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press via Getty Images) Air quality may also be reduced amid and following the dusty rain, which could overlap with outdoor events related to Semana Santa, which begins on Sunday, April 13.
