Majorca, March 25th, Good Friday procession in Pollença- the Davallament


The evening of Good Friday we went into Pollença so that we could watch an Easter procession which takes place every year in front of the Calvari Chapel. This is at the top of a long flight of  365 stone steps which run up the hill from the main square, and here a re-enactment of the crucifixion takes place. The body of Christ (a marble statue) is then brought down the steps and through the town to the main church.
It takes place at 9.00pm, after dark, and the procession down the steps is torch lit.
We went into the town at around 7.30 and had a struggle to park. We took a look at the inside of the church in the town where the effigy is taken at the end of the ceremony and afterwards visited a bar at the foot of the steps to while away the time. The occasional hooded figure passed down the street in front of us. Unfortunately Alan and some of his friends never left the bar and missed the whole thing!
I walked up the steps so that I was nearly at the top. It was struggle as they are not very wide and they were packed with people. I could not see what was going on at the top but at around 9.00pm I heard the sombre sound of a drum and the movement of people at the top. I was truly not expecting the sheer size of the procession. White, masked figures, looking very flu klux klan, were coming down following two drummers who were keeping the beat. After the white figures passed came more. Some had red cloaks, some purple, some were children looking like ewoks and some wore the brown habits of Franciscan friars. Eventually some Roman centurions arrived, before the marble Christ statue was borne down on a bier. The Christ figure was followed by Spanish widows in black lace mantillas and then people in 'mufti' presumably the 'good' of the town and a small wind band who had occasionally struck up. I would not like to estimate the numbers in the procession but it went on for at least an hour and a half.

Here are the pictures I took before the main event, but I have made a short video of the actual procession which I have put on YouTube. Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCPh7KJdA0M








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