Soul of the Brotherhoods: an exhibition traces the history of Holy Week in Estepona

The Holy Week in Estepona is already being felt in the city with the opening of the brotherhood exhibition "Soul of the Brotherhoods," a display that gathers historical documents, belongings, and representative pieces from the various local brotherhoods to bring the public closer to the origin and evolution of the brotherhood tradition in the municipality.

The exhibition, inaugurated tonight at the former Adult Schools on the central Terraza street, offers a journey through the history of the Association of Brotherhoods and the brotherhoods that comprise it, with special attention to some of the oldest preserved documents, a historical display that can be visited until next Sunday, March 15, in the morning and afternoon.

Among them, the 1909 statutes of the Veracruz Brotherhood, considered the oldest in the city, stand out. In that year, Juan Gil Herola, the great-grandfather of the current president of the Association of Brotherhoods, Francisco Aguilar, who is also the Elder Brother of the Veracruz Brotherhood, held the position of elder brother.

The exhibit also includes the founding statutes of other local brotherhoods, such as those of the Brotherhood of Love from 1982, and the Brotherhood of Jesus Captive from 1991. The current Association of Brotherhoods was established in 2001 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

In addition to historical documentation, the exhibition gathers old belongings and some of the novelties that the brotherhoods will debut in the upcoming Holy Week. Among them is the new guide cross of the Veracruz with lanterns, as well as various elements provided by the brotherhoods of Love and the Captive, such as powers, cinctures, scapulars, rosaries, brooches, or lace for the Marian images.

"The exhibit also includes a showcase dedicated to the Virgin of Solitude, who last summer celebrated the 25th anniversary of her current image and who will display some of the gifts made by donating brothers next Good Friday. Also on display are the robes of the Virgin of Hope and the Virgin of Peace, as well as the attire that the Virgin of Aurora will debut in the Resurrection Sunday procession," explains Francisco Aguilar to Diario Sur.

Among the curiosities of the exhibition is a cape donated by the bullfighter José Tomás, which was adapted by seamstresses to be integrated into the heritage of the Brotherhood of Jesus Captive.

Another unique piece is a standard of the Veracruz from before the Civil War, which was hidden during that period and later returned to the brotherhood. The piece is preserved framed and shows an old Romanesque image of Christ crucified.

The exhibition, organized by the Association of Brotherhoods, can be visited for five days as a prelude to Holy Week. After several years without being held following the pandemic, the new board of directors has decided to revive this initiative, which previously took place in the Casa de las Tejerinas and is now moved to the Senior Center, a more central location.

"We want this initiative to help bring the public closer to the heritage and tradition of Estepona's Holy Week, which combines two processional styles: by costal and by shoulders," Aguilar assures.

As part of the preliminary events, the centennial novena of the Veracruz will begin next Saturday at the church of Our Lady of Remedies, where Christ of the Veracruz is venerated. After the religious celebration, the traditional auction will take place over nine days, from Saturday, March 14, to Sunday, March 22.