Holy week

The Easter Wednesday opens its door at the popular quarter of St. Cristóbal to the fraternity of Nuestro Padre Jesús en la Columna y María Stma. de la Esperanza.(Jesus tied and beaten at a column and the Virgin of the Hope). This fifty years old fraternity has achieved to be one of the deepest rooted brotherhoods, having got an important number of people belonging to it, to be accurate more than 900, wearing white and green procession's dresses. The best moments of its procession happen when the Images meet at the Plaza de Virgen de la Esperanza and when they enter into the Ermita de la Concepción, a chapel which has got a magnificient baroque retable, making its brothers and the people of Ronda in general very proud.

History:
The first news about the existance of this brotherhood have been found at a document dated at may, 31th, 1849 where it's written that, at the church of the Socorro, and among the related fraternities, there is one named of the Lord of the Column. Most recent news dating of 1949 show that a group of people meet themselves wanting to increase the number of fraternities making its annual procession at Ronda. At this first meeting was elected as President of the new fraternity the famous poet D. Pedro Pérez Clotet, being considered by that reason for the History as the Fraternity's founder.

Sculptures:
The sculpture of the Christ comes fron the village of Olot and was made at the beginning of the 20th century, being bought at 1978. The sculpture of the Virgin is a wooden sculpture, made by an anonimous author, and that probably was done also at the beginning of the 20th century.

Platform Throne of the Christ:
The platform throne is a Ronda's baroque style wooden carved and goldened work, with religious scenes represented at it. Its author was the craftmen D. Juan Hernández Jiménez (1952) and the sculptures over it represent Jesus, tied to a small column being beaten by one jewish man while one Roman soldier is watching.

Platform Throne of the Virgin:
It is also a platform throne of baroque style wood carved and goldened, made by D. Juan Hernández Jiménez at 1953. It has got also a canopy covering it and under it, the sculpture of the Virgin of the Hope, wearing an spectacular with gold over green colour velvet cloak. This sculpture is known as "Ronda's bride".

Dress:

White robe and socks and green pointed hood and shoes.

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At 11 o'clock in the evening and after the last bell's sound of the clock located at the Colegiata de Santa María La Mayor, at the centre of the historic quarter, three strong beats sound at the door. The leader of the platform throne of the Christ says: Christ at his Blood is calling to exit! It is the procession day for the brotherhood of Christ at his Blood and the Virgin of the Highest Pain, known also in Ronda as "The Silence" brotherhood.

History:
Several documents inform about the existance of the fraternity of the Blood of Christ and the Highest Pain at 1568. After a period of inactivity, it was reorganized at march, 1947.

This fraternity has got 1185 brothers.

Carrying Platform Throne of Christ:
It consists of a kind of platform table carried by six beams and with a base over it. It has got at each corner its lightening consisting of several candelabra for candles. At the base, and over little wooden angels, it has got the arm coat of the fraternity. Its totally wood carved at Ronda's style by the brothers Hernández Jiménez and also goldened. Over it are carried the sculpture of Christ, being crucified and belonging to the works made at the 18th century in an andalusian baroque style by the artist coming from Seville Duque Cornejo at 1737, being the price for this work two thousand and two hundred reals. Duque Cornejo is grandchild of the famous artist Pedro Roldán and nephew of the also famous female andalusian artist «La Roldana». From both authors received this artist a strong influence. The sculpture of these nice Virgin is attributed to the artist coming from Granada Alonso Cano or to one of his bests followers, Pedro de Mena, and was also done at the same year as the Christ's sculpture.

The historic quarter of the city meets with an impressive silence the scene of men and women hidden with a white robe and red pointed hood, belt, socks and shoes. The penitents representing the deadly sins wear a black robe and also carry a heavy cross being their feet tied by heavy chains, making a revival of Christ's passion by means of penance, meditation and absorption, always in silence , only brocken by the noise of the chains each time they walk.

Recommende places:
At the beginning of the procession, while the procession is crossing the new bridge, the spectacular turn at the corner of the Tajo's tree-lined avenue and when it arrives to the Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, when a voice breaks the deep silence and at the old town sounds saying: Now it begins!

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