Holy Week Processions in Popayan

Popayan has carried its Holy Week processions since the sixteenth century, and they are formal rather than exuberant. From Tuesday to Saturday of Holy Week a route of a little over two kilometres is walked each evening, with pasos, carved wooden scenes of the Passion mounted on heavy frames, carried on the shoulders of cargueros whose places pass down within the same families. The bearers wear dark tunics, the pace is deliberate and slow, and the crowd on the pavements is largely silent. A week of religious music concerts runs in the churches at the same time, which is the other half of what fills the city.

History

Processions in Popayán go back to the time of the conquest, and in 1558 Philip II signed royal charters authorising them. They grew with the city, which became the political and economic centre of the colony in the region, with institutions such as a royal mint, and by the early 17th century an edict required the balconies and houses along the route to be adorned; mining in the Governorate of Popayán paid for the gold, silver and emerald crowns and jewels of the images, most of them from Spanish and Quito workshops of the 16th to 18th centuries. The processions declined in the 19th century and again in the economic crisis of the 20th, and on 30 September 2009 UNESCO inscribed them on its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity (Wikipedia, Holy Week in Popayán).

What you'll find

• The pasos - carved Passion scenes on heavy frames, lit by candles.
• The cargueros - bearers in dark tunics, the role inherited within families.
• The night route - the same circuit walked from Tuesday to Saturday.
• The religious music week - concerts held in the churches during the same days.

When to go

The processions run Tuesday to Saturday of Holy Week, in March or April depending on the year. Every bed in the city goes months ahead and prices rise sharply, so either book very early or stay in Cali and travel in. Processions start in the evening and last two to three hours. Arrive early if you want to stand anywhere near the route.

Good to know

This is a religious observance, not a show: there is little explanation for outsiders, no seating and no commentary. You stand for hours, often several people deep, and since the route repeats each night it becomes repetitive unless the differences between the nights matter to you. The city is overwhelmed, restaurants are stretched, rates double or worse, and rain is common.

Nearby

Silvia's Tuesday market and the Tierradentro tombs are both day trips from the city.