The Easter Holy Week in Seville is like none other on Earth. The entire citizenry is deeply immersed in a centuries-old devotional process. Hooded penitents carry crosses and candles. Enormous platforms with life-size statues depicting the Passion of Christ are carried by young men. Some date back hundreds of years. Imagine a slowly moving mobile Medieval cathedral. Others walk the procession routes carrying statues of Mother Mary enrobed in stunningly embroidered and bejeweled fabrics. Her facial expression depicts a sublime expression of grief offset with a subtle brush of hope.
It's three o'clock in the morning on Good Friday in Plaza del Salvador. The mournful sound of an oboe announces the arrival of the procession. El Silenzio. Conversations gradually die down and the massive crowd watches reverentially, as an ancient tradition sweeps us up in a timeless mystery.
