Description
The old Church of Sant Antoni, the guild headquarters for Tortosa’s farmers, is located right in the heart of the urban area formed by the beautiful and renowned Carrer Montcada and houses the Holy Week Interpretation Centre. Restored in 2010, it contains the sculptures and floats used during Holy Week in Tortosa. The building is listed as one of the city’s historical monuments and represents a milestone in religious tourism.
During Holy Week, Tortosa is transformed into a venue for spectacular, large-scale events such as processions, proclamations, sacred music concerts, lectures, contests and festivals. The Procession of the Passion, held on Palm Sunday, is the largest and most dramatic event and features floats accompanied by their respective brotherhoods. On Holy Thursday, the Procession of Silence takes place, when the Most Blessed Christ of the Immaculate Conception is carried aloft to the sound of the drums, and the streets and midnight hour create an incredible atmosphere. During the Procession of the Holy Burial, which takes place on Good Friday, the floats and brotherhoods accompany the Recumbent Christ of the Holy Sepulchre from Tortosa Cathedral.
The Interpretation Centre is the first museum dedicated to Catalan procession floats. It contains the floats and sculptures that are used for the different events in Holy Week, all created to scale and featuring a high degree of realism. They belong to the eleven brotherhoods, some of them secular, who engage in the processions. It also features a loft displaying the habits and dresses of the brotherhoods.