Calagurritana Easter Week

Calahorra in La Rioja marks the passion and death of Jesus Christ in a unique way, with the recreation of the Roman era in its streets.

Easter Week starts with Mercaforum, a great Roman market that recaptures the atmosphere in the city over 2000 years ago. These days visitors can enjoy parades of Roman legions through the streets, coin-striking workshops, gladiator fights, exhibitions of birds of prey and a multitude of dramatised re-enactments by around 500 actors. The other two key moments of the week are the Re-enactment of the Passion on Maundy Thursday, and the Great Procession of the Santo Entierro on Good Friday. The first consists of different live tableaux from the passion of Jesus Christ, featuring a spectacular stage design. The second is a procession of 16 floats bearing religious statues accompanied through the streets by 2000 people. The processions (solemn parades accompanying the religious images) take place during the week.