Seville’s Holy Week processions have been celebrated since the sixteenth century. Religious brotherhoods carry scenes of Christ’s Passion and images of the Virgin through the city, joining devotion with sculpture, textiles, metalwork and music. The floats, known as pasos, belong to communities whose preparation and care continue throughout the year; the street spectacle is only the most visible part of that work.

The celebration developed into a distinctive expression of Seville’s religious and artistic life. Penitents in traditional robes accompany the images, while bearers carry the heavy structures through narrow streets. Bands, silence and occasional sung devotion create changing moods along the routes. Holy Thursday’s overnight Madrugá is especially intense, but no single procession represents the whole week. Weather and religious priorities always shape what visitors can see.