Holy week

From the majestic building of the Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor, at the centre of the historic quarter of Ronda, declared as Patrimony of Cultural Interest, starts its procession the fraternity Venerable, llustre y Santa Hermandad de Paz y Caridad y de la Vera Cruz, Sangre y Llagas de Ntro. Señor Jesucristo, Ntra. Señora de la Luz, Ntro. Sr. del Perdón, María Stma. de las Penas, en el Misterio de su Inmaculada Concepción, San Francisco, Santa Clara de Asís y San Juan de Dios (Jesus of the Forgiveness and the Virgin of the Sorrows).

Historical Abstract:
The brotherhood of the Truly Cross was founded at june, 15th, 1545, since the fourties of the 20th century it made its annual procession at the Easter Thursday's night. Since then it sank and was reorganized at february, 13th, 1992. Afertwards, it was added to the fraternity of the Peace and the Charity, whose foundation was also dated after the conquest of Ronda by the Catholic Monarchs, at 1485. After its reorganization, it made its first procession at 1995.

At the present it has got 260 brothers.

Sculptures:
Our Lord of the Forgiveness is a work of the sevillian artist Luis Álvarez Duarte; it is made of cedar wood at the sevillian style, wearing a violet tunic and embracing the Cross. It is carried on a baroque style platform throne, made of mahogany by the sevillian artist Manuel Guzmán Bejarano. The image of the Virgin of the Sorrows has also been made by Álvarez Duarte

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Procession's elements:
The «Senatus» (a Roman Legion's banner) made if silver, the lanterns beside the Guiding Cross, the «Simpecao» de Inmaculada (a banner symbolizing the Virigin's purity) made by the de la Cruz sisters, the Virgin's crown, given as gift by the knights of the Cavalry Order of Ronda, made of silver, and silver thuribles and a navet made by the sons of Juan Fernández.

Music:
The Music Chapel of Seville, consisting of an oboe, a clarinet and a bassoon, a group of childs singing works of the 18th century are the ones giving music to the Image of the Lord of the Forgiveness.

Procession's dress:
Robe with a tail's supplement, gloves, sandals and socks, everything in black, with a sparto grass belt and the Holy Rosary.

The procession of the Lord of the Forgive and the Virgin of the Sorrows by the streets of the islamic medina (city) of Ronda, the deep smell of incense, the chapel's music and the impressive black robes of the penitents with tail's extension and the sparto grass belts weared silently by the brothers of this fraternity, causes feelings which are difficult to express, where absolutely all the human senses participate.

The founder of the pedestrian bullfighting, Pedro Romero, was formerly President of this broterhood.

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The prayer transformed into saeta (a religious song) due to the procession of the fraternity of Nuestro Señor Ecce Horno, el Cristo de la Buena Muerte y Nuestra Señora del Buen Amor. Since centuries and without any interruptions, these broterhood makes its penitencial procession each evening-night of the Easter Thursday, at the moment between 19 hours of Thursday and 1 hour night of the Good Friday.

Coming from the most beautiful balconies, deep groans and moans are heard when the sculptures of this fraternity march through the streets. The Saeta sounds ! Apart from several of these songs dedicated to the blessed images, it is also remarkable the Penitential act celebrated at the Plaza Concepción García Redondo.

At this brotherhood two different ages can be observed: before and after the arrival of the troops of the Spanish Foreign Legion at Ronda at 1980. Since that year, this Institution was declared as Honorific member (it is called Greatest Honorific Brother), and, at the next year, the sculpture of the Christ of the Good Death was carried on the shoulders of these soldiers. The image of the Holy Christ of the Good Death, Protector and Saint of the Foreign Legion, prevails during the rest of the years the military headquarters Teniente General Gabeiras, at Ronda.

Sculptures:
Ntro. Sr. Ecce-Homo (Christ condemned to Death): Oil painted wood sculpture made by an anonimous author but attributed to Juan de Mesa (1583‑1627).

Ntra.Sra. Buen Amor (The Virgin of Love): Oil painted wood sculpture made at the end of the 19th century or beginning of the 20th century made by an anonimous author.

Cristo de la Buena Muerte (Christ of the Good Death):
Oil painted cedar sculpture made the artist of Granada D. Antonio Barbero Gor (1985).

Carrying Platform Throne of the Ecce-Homo:
The first part of the platform is made by carved walnut at Ronda's Trade School, and obtained a second prices at the Craftwork Contest of Valencia at 1949. The second platform of the throne is made of Yugoslavian beech at the Cooperative City of the Tajo.

Carrying Platform Throne of Ntra. Sra. del Buen Amor:
The throne consists of two silver bodies with a canopy consisting of silver bars and velvet roof, embroidered with gold in Seville at 1980.

The Spanish Foreign Legion was declared as Honorific member of the brotherhood at 1980.

Nowadays, the fraternity has got 642 members, called brothers.

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At Easter Thursday's night and at the idilic frame of the historic quarter of Padre Jesús can be seen the highest popular faith expression. Lots of men and women following the slow steps of the men carrying our Father Jesus and our blessed Virgin of the Pains.

These sculptures are Ronda's favourite devotions. The movement transformed into an art when the blessed images arrive to Calle de Santa Cecilia and Virgen de los Dolores and also at the arrival to the temple, making an annual wonder. Padre Jesus (Father Jesus) as this brotherhood is known at Ronda is the perfect end for the important Easter Thursday Night at Ronda.

Sculptures:
Antonio Castillo Lastrucci, artist coming from Seville, was the author of Our Father Jesus and the Virgin of the Pains at 1942 and later, between 1948 and 1949, the sculptures of St. John and Simon of Cirene were made by artists of Granada.

Carrying Platform Throne of Jesus:
It is made of wood in a Neoclassic Renaissance style. It has got wood carved scenes representing the Stations of the Cross. It has got also four silver lanterns, one at each platform's corner made by Manuel de los Ríos. and buyed at 1973. The lower platform's body is also made of silver by Villarreal at 1979.

Carrying Platfomr Throne of the Virgin:
The platform and the canopy bars are made of Menese's silver. The silver flower vases, the candelabra and the back corner's lightening, consisting of 16 covered candelabra, are made by Manuel de los Ríos.

Procession's Important Elements:
The Virgin of the Pain's cloak was bought 1928 to the famous fraternity of Christ's Passion of Seville, where the embroidered vegetal decoration and also a embroidered dove are remarkable.
Another important elements are the Book of Rules and the Penance Flag. The Roman Legion Symbol (Senatus) and the Mediatrix (A Virgin's symbolic banner). Also important are the candlesticks, the censers and the clothes weared by the people carrying them. The bars of the canopy were buyed at 1928 and the canopy's roof embroidered at 1990. Do not forget to see the silver angels carrying censers at the platform throne of Jesus.

The fraternity has a total amount of brothers of 1.200.

Procession's dress :

Violet robe and shoes of the same colour, yellow belt and white gloves.

Honorific members of this fraternity as Institutions since lots of years are the City Council of Ronda and also the Royal Cavalry Order of Ronda.

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