Easter Processions in Barcelona You Shouldn’t Miss!

Leah Marie WarnerBeing Spanish, Live & Enjoy Barcelona, Spanish Tradition

Throughout the whole week of Holy Week, also known as Semana Santa there are many religious processions. Hermandades and Cofradias are groups of people based at different churches who organize these processions. The umbrella organization here in Barcelona is the Consell General de Germandats i Cofraries de la Arxidiòcesi de Barcelona. The two main Hermandades de la Penitencia organize the processions from the Església de San Agustí on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The processions are very solemn and beautifully, intricately decorated floats with Jesus are paraded through the city streets. People participating in the processions dress in traditional capirote – the tall hat which covers the face and belted robes. Women often wear the mantilla, a black lace veil worn high on the back of the head. Be sure to look out for the giant crosses and music because these are signals that the procession is near.

Palm Sunday (March 25th)

This day always falls on the Sunday before Easter. It is a celebration of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. All churches have mass on this day, which includes a special ceremony in which the priest leave the church to bless the congregation who are carrying laurel branches and palm stalks and leaves. Boys carry the palmons, which are tall palm stalks and the girls carry the palmes. The children’s palms all have sweets or toys attached to them and are decorated with Catalan senyera ribbons. Below is a schedule of the Palm Sunday Procession.

Diumenge de Rams

Led by La Hermandad de la Macarena y la Jesús del Gran Poder
Start: 10:00 Església de Sant Agustí, Plaça Sant Agustí, 2, Raval
Finish: 12:00 Església de Sant Agustí
Route: Plaça Sant Agustí, Carrer Hospital, La Rambla, Carrer Santa Ana, Portal de l’Àngel, Carrer Cucurulla, Carrer Portaferrisa, La Rambla, Carrer Hospital, Plaça Sant
Agustí.

Bendició de la Palma – The Blessing of the Palm

11:00 at La Seu – Barcelona Cathedral
12:00 at La Sagrada Familia Church

Good Friday (March 30th)

There are two main parades/processions in Barcelona on this day. One of these processions consists of two “paso” floats and around 300 participants and musicians. The schedules for both processions are below.

Good Friday – Santa Maria del Mar

Procession at Santa Maria del Mar basilica
Start: 09:30 Via Crucis procession – Procession of Stations of the Cross.
Procession route: Santa Maria del Mar, Fossar de les moreres, Pg del Born, Carrer del Rec, Carrer Bonaire, Carrer Rere palau, Marques argentera, Pla de Palau, carrer Espaseria and finish as Santa Maria del Mar

Good Friday – Divendres Sant Procession

Led by La Hermandad de la Macarena – Paso Cristo
Start: 17.00 Església de Sant Agustí in Plaça Sant Agustí, 2, Raval
At 20.00 they meet with the procession of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias in front of Barcelona Cathedral
Finish: around 22.30 Església de Sant Agustí
Route: Plaça Sant Agustí, La Rambla, Carrer Santa Anna, Portal de l’Ángel, Carrer dels Arcs, Plaça Nova, Avinguda Catedral, Boters, Pi, Plaça del Pi, Carrer Cardenal Casañas, La Rambla, Carrer Hospital and Plaça Sant Agustí

Good Friday – Barcelona Cathedral

Service and procession at Barcelona Cathedral
Start: 15:00 Sermó de les Set Paraules.
The Bearers of the Holy Christ of Lepanto bring the Holy Christ to the front of the Cathedral to be adored by the faithful at 15:00 on Good Friday. A Canon reads the Sermon of the Seven Words, discussing the last seven words said by Jesus before his death
Start: 18:30 Via Crucis procession on Avinguda de la Catedral
Procession of Stations of the Cross on the Avinguda de la Catedral
Procession route: On Avinguda de la Catedral

Good Friday – Divendres Sant Procession

Led by La Hermandad y Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias
Paso: Nuestra Señora de las Angustias – Our Lady of Sorrows
Start: 19:00 Església de Sant Jaume at Carrer de Ferran, 28, Barri Gòtic
At 20:00 they meet with the procession of la Hermandad de la Macarena in front of Barcelona Cathedral
Finish: 23:00 at Església de Sant Jaume
Route: Església de Sant Jaume, Carrer Ferrán, Plaça Sant Jaume, Carrer Bisbe, Avinguda de la Catedral, Boters, Portaferrissa, La Rambla and Ferrán, Església de Sant Jaume

Easter Sunday (April 1st)

This is a family day in Barcelona but you have masses and services in all churches.

Cofradia 15 + 1 in Hospitalet

The biggest processions in Barcelona you can find in a suburb called Hospitalet de Llobregat. With a little effort you can reach the place and it will be less touristic than the city center. The number 15 was the number of original organisers and the number 1 was added later to symbolise the town of Hospitalet. These kind of processions are special because there is no church involvement in their processions. With metro line L5 and metro stop Can Vidalet you can reach this special occasion. Here you find the overview of all the processions in Hospitalet.