TRONOS, SEMANA SANTA MALAGA Easter Holy Week

Описание: “Tronos” are massive floats carried by hundreds of people during the procession. The processions, the first of which takes place on Palm Sunday, make their way slowly on their pilgrimage around the city. Many of the processions pass through an official viewing area which occupies some of the city’s main streets. The processions are organized by the religious brotherhoods (“confradias”) who each carry a massive “tronos” depicting various religious scenes – from Christ on the cross to the Virgin Mary. The “tronos” are lavishly adorned with plush fabric and candles, having undergone months of preparation before the event.

Many of the statues were created by famous artists in the 17th century. The statues are very life like and the ones showing the agony of Christ are very impressive. They cause many viewers to start crying because they seem so real. Most of them have been sculpted out of wood and then a polychrome finish has been applied. In the past statues were used to instruct the faithful in the Catholic faith.
The best goldsmiths and silversmiths have been chosen to decorate the thrones. They are really works of art, recalling all the history of European art, from the Renaissance to the rococo. If you study them, you will see carvings of faces in gold, and all sorts of beautiful designs. Each throne is worth several million euros, because of all the gold and silver used.
At the front of the throne’s beams is a big bell, about a foot high. This is rang with a hammer by the director of the throne to signal the men what to do. To lift the throne, he rings the bell once. There is another signal to lay the throne on the floor, and so forth. There are between 160 and 280 men to lift and carry each throne, at very close quarters, so the signals by the bell are very important.