“Holy Wednesday Processions in Alicante: Where to See the Steps of Santa Cruz and La Marinera”

He holy wednesday It is one of the days marked in red in the Alicante Holy Week processional calendar. The processions of Divine loveknown as “La Marinera”, and that of Santa Cruzone of the ones that gathers the most public, are those that make up the poster for the fourth day of steps in the provincial capital.

The procession of the Penitential Brotherhood of Santa Cruz It is possibly the most recognized in Alicante. His well-known descent down the stairs in his neighborhood is, for the faithful, spectacular. Even in years in which it has rained, such as in 2022, the image has descended and ascended the stairs of Santa Cruz again.

Getting a hole to see the descent through the neighborhood is an almost impossible mission, although in recent years the climb has begun to be almost as recognized as the first part. In this final part, in which the costaleros return the images to the Hermitage, the bands leave and it is the people who cheer the costaleros while they finish the procession loaded with adrenaline, as indicated by Santa Cruz’s own older brother, Moncho Riquelme.

between all the steps there are about 600 brothers. In total, there are four images that are carried: Our Father Jesus Captivethat of the youngest people in the neighborhood; the Holy Christ of Faith, known as “El Gitano”which was originally carried by young people but today is carried by veteran brothers; the Virgin of Sorrowscarried by women and the Mystery of the Most Holy Christ of the Descent.

the sailor

The great novelty of the Brotherhood of Divino Amor and the Virgen de la Soledad “La Marinera” is the restoration of its crown and candlestick, in which it will be the first procession for them since 2019, having not been able to go out either in the two years of the pandemic or in 2022 due to the rain. The exit from the Convent of the Reverend Mothers Agustinas is very difficult since the passage cannot go out on the shoulders of the door due to its size, so the costaleros —60 in each step— have to take it out by hand.

Despite coinciding in day with Santa Cruz, its steps also have a great attraction. The older brother of the Brotherhood, Julio Fornerrecommends seeing it in the “alleys” of the neighborhood, such as Calle Mayor, due to the added difficulty of moving the steps through the corners and “nooks and crannies”.