Easter week in Cuenca, Spain 2020

What's so special about Holy Week in Cuenca? / Pixabay

20 March 2019, 13:13

Easter 2020 in Cuenca, Spain

When: 5th - 12th April 2020
Where: Cuenca, Spain
Website: turismo.cuenca.es

There’s so much to see in Cuenca that it’s not surprising that visitors from all corners of the globe choose their Easter holidays to come to this city and see the Spanish Easter parades. This year, Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Spain is from Sunday 5th to Sunday 12th April 2020.

A getaway in Cuenca during Holy Week is something truly special. The city acts out the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ with incredible candour and devotion, a splendid example of the typical Easter tradition in Spain of parade marches and processions with floats representing the life of Christ. It’s not surprising that it’s been declared an event of World Heritage and international tourist interest.

The city excels in a number of ways and its Easter celebrations make for one of the most unforgettable festivals in Spain, with an intimate setting and some breath-taking human experiences.

Cuenca, Spain things to do

Cuenca is located in the centre-east part of Spain, about 104 miles (168 km) east of Madrid, and is famous for its famous casas colgadas, the ‘hanging houses’ which are impossible constructions perched on the walls of the limestone cliff faces, looking poised to fall at any moment, and are the defining symbol of Cuenca. The city, which has Arabic origins, conserves many other places which tell the story of the city, like the walled old-town, the ruins of Medieval castles, historical cobblestone streets and the luxury Parador hotel which has been converted from an old palace.

One of the most important popular festivals in Spain is the holy week of Semana Santa in Cuenca. A celebration takes place in a unique setting, going around the medieval historic centre. One thing’s for sure - the Easter parades in Cuenca are stunning, especially at sunset.

Holy week in Cuenca 2020

In the early hours of Good Friday (10th April 2020), there is the Camino del Calvario procession, also known as las Turbas, which stands out for its deeply rooted tradition among the locals. People in Cuenca try to act out the abuse that Jesus Christ suffered on the long walk to his crucifixion. Along the way there is frantic music from drummers and buglers and wild jumping, which has earned it the unofficial name of the ‘drunken procession’ (procesión de los borrachos), but at other moments there is absolute silence, such as when the singing of the Miserere takes place in the Oratory of the San Felipe de Neri church.

Really, the Holy week timeline of processions starts from Palm Sunday (5th April 2020), with the procession of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza which involves a parade float representing Christ on a donkey and people waving palm leaves and olive branches. The Monday brings the Vera Cruz procession, while on Holy Tuesday there is the procession of Forgiveness and on Wednesday the procession of Silence.

Maundy Thursday is one of the most important days for Easter in Cuenca, with the procession of La Paz y la Caridad, Peace and Charity, as is Good Friday, when there are three different processions: the Camino del Calvario, as we’ve already seen, starts at sunrise; after that, there is the procession of El Calvario at midday; and lastly, the Santo Entierro or Holy Burial at sunset. The last procession, that of the resurrection, El Resucitado, takes places on Easter Sunday.