Córdoba's Holy Week (Semana Santa), declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest since 2014, is one of those events that's genuinely hard to describe to someone who hasn't been. Forty brotherhoods process through the UNESCO historic centre over eight days — but calling it a parade misses the point entirely.
Each brotherhood (hermandad or cofradía) follows a carefully mapped route from its home church to the Mezquita-Cathedral. Baroque pasos laden with gilded sculptures pass beneath the horseshoe arches of the most famous Islamic monument in the Western world. The image doesn't get old. Hooded penitents (nazarenos) wear traditional tunics in their brotherhood's colours — black for mourning, white for purity, purple for penitence — while costaleros (bearers) carry floats weighing up to 2 tonnes. The processions move through the Calleja de las Flores, the Roman Bridge and the Cristo de los Faroles.
The contrast with Seville's Holy Week is real and significant. Seville is grander, more international, more theatrical. Córdoba is quieter. Respectful silence replaces applause. You're not watching a performance — you're watching something the city does for itself, and you happen to be present.
The Madrugada
The most intense moment is the Madrugada (dawn) of Good Friday. At midnight, in absolute silence broken only by muffled drums, the Hermandad de la Buena Muerte begins its nocturnal procession through the medieval lanes of the Judería. The darkness, the incense, the scent of orange blossom, the saetas (sacred flamenco songs) called out from balconies in raw, ragged voices — the combination creates an atmosphere with no obvious comparison. Non-religious visitors often describe it as one of the more affecting things they've experienced. If you're only in Córdoba for one night of Holy Week, make it this one. Position yourself on Calle Cardenal Herrero from 11 pm.
