Madrid is usually empty at Easter, although the attractiveness of the Community on these dates is no less. Up to eight Madrid municipalities have the denomination of Festival of Regional Tourist Interest, among which are Morata de Tajuña, Torrejón de Ardoz, the Passion of Daganzo, the Procession of the Encounter of Móstoles, the Passion of Jesus of Villarejo de Salvanés and of Carabaña, those of San Lorenzo del Escorial and Parla, in addition to the Passion of Chinchón and the Holy Week of Alcalá de Henares, which have also been declared of National Tourist Interest.
For example, the Móstoles Encounter procession, on Easter Sunday, is characterized by the flowery rosemary arches that are present at different points along the route, and by the meeting of the two steps: the Risen Christ, from the Jesús Brotherhood Nazarene and Risen Christ and donated by a neighbor to the Parish of the Assumption in 1943; and the Soledad pass, belonging to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Soledad.
Upon meeting, the two images simulate a greeting three times thanks to their bearers. Between salutes, cheers and applause and the national anthem interpreted by the Municipal Youth Band, the procession continues its journey until the end of the itinerary, in the Plaza de Ernesto Peces, where the traditional solemn mass was celebrated.
On the other hand, in Torrejón de Ardoz there is already evidence that in the 16th century the Brotherhood of the Bull of the Blessed Sacrament organized Holy Week processions in the municipality, although the true consolidation of this celebration occurred in the 18th century, with the constitution of the brotherhoods of Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Vera Cruz and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.
Among the steps, the one known as ‘El Calvario’ stands out, with images of Christ and La Dolorosa, dating from the 16th or 17th centuries and attributed to the school of Gregorio Fernández, the greatest exponent of Castilian Baroque religious sculpture.
Also noteworthy is this Holy Week, which was declared last year by the regional government as a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest, the participation of children in the procession of ‘La Santa Cena’, on Holy Thursday, which is carried by 20 children between the ages of 6 and 12 years.
For its part, Daganzo’s Passion has a peculiarity that differentiates it from the rest of the representations of the Passion of Christ and it is the circular arrangement of the scenes, which allows viewers to see the representation in 360 degrees, without having to move around. the seasons of the Passion
The Daganzo festival dates back to 1986, making it the third oldest Passion performance in the region. It takes place on Good Friday, in the Plaza de la Villa, where various platforms and decorations are installed.
The neighbors, who are in charge of preparing the sets and costumes, become actors to represent the last three days of the life of Jesus Christ from his entry into Jerusalem until the Resurrection, in 16 scenes based on the texts of the Gospels. Spectators are located in the central part of the square, and the scenes take place around them.
The criteria that the Community of Madrid also took into account in 2014 to declare this festival of interest have been the origin and age of the celebration, its roots in the town and its cultural value and tourist attraction.
