Centuries of Semana Santa
A BOOK documenting the history of Easter celebrations in Guardamar del Segura has been published to mark the fiesta being declared of regional interest for tourism.
'La Semana Santa de Guardamar y las escenificaciones de la Pasión’ (Guardamar’s Holy Week and the dramatisations of the Passion) condenses 400 years of historical, cultural and religious information into 100 pages.
The town hall and the committee of Easter brotherhoods (JMC) have printed 1,000 copies.
“We want it to recognise the work and effort of our ancestors who made it possible for our Holy Week to be valued and recognised now as one of the most distinctive in the whole of the Valencia region,” explained mayor José Luis Sáez at the presentation in the town hall last Friday.
He was joined by the author, JMC president and historian, José Vicente Gómez, as well as fiestas councillor Jesus Tenza, JMC secretary Francisco Javier Aldeguer, parish priest Efrén Mira and numerous members of the Easter brotherhoods.
The regional government made the official declaration about the fiesta on February 2019.
The mayor said this was an important day and he was proud to present such a complex book which so many people had worked on.
Sr Sáez explained that it had been produced 'in order to publicise part of local history and, more importantly, help to preserve this tradition'.
Sr Gómez added that the open-air dramatisations probably predate the regular processions with statues and floats, having been first documented in 1617 and being unique to the municipality.
Father Mira said the publication recognises the work of many people over centuries.