Law professionals carry the throne on a litter of the head of the Curia through the narrow alleys of the old town
In silence and under the dim yellow light of the streetlights of the old town, last night all eyes were on the image of the Virgen de la Soledad. Hundreds of people packed the old part of the city to watch the most intimate and recollection procession of Holy Week, presided over by the Brotherhood of La Curia, made up of Justice professionals. The elegant sculpture by Sánchez Lozano, which represents the last of the Dolores of the Virgin, that of solitude after the death of her son, worked the miracle of illuminating for an instant the narrow and dark streets of the historic quarter, in those that abound the facades lowered due to the earthquakes of 2011 and the decadent abandoned and ruined mansions.
He crossed for the first time after two years the imposing threshold of the collegiate church of San Patricio after ten o’clock at night on his simple throne on a litter carried by 18 portapasos, among whom was the president of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, who participates every year in this procession since his time as a law student. In the procession that accompanied the image on its way out in procession was also the president of the Superior Court of Justice of Murcia, Miguel Pasqual de Riquelme.
in severe mourning
The Virgin was dressed in a black mantle on which the shields of Justice and the city of Lorca are embroidered in gold and silk, and the image of Jesus embroidered in silk in the central medallion. She wore the silver crown topped with 12 stars inlaid with black onyx, the color of the brotherhood, and the sober ensemble was completed by the skirts of the throne, in black velvet, embroidered in gold. The third of Nazarenes, whose clothing resembles the toga used by legal professionals in the courts of Justice, escorted the image, composing a mourning image marked by penitential rigor.
The Brotherhood premiered four tunics for the standard bearers and lantern bearers that accompany the banner of the Virgen de la Soledad, directed by Emiliano Rojo in 1950. The gold embroidery on velvet, made in Silvia Teruel’s workshop, is based on the original border of this banner and the distinctive anagram of María del Paso Negro stands out on the skirt.
The procession passed through Santiago and Villaescusa streets, where the square dedicated to the Brotherhood of La Curia is located, and after crossing El Ibreño square, one of the most anticipated moments took place, passing through the only medieval door of the city that is preserved in perfect condition, the Porch of San Antonio. The 14th-century monument declared an Asset of Cultural Interest has been urgently restored for the occasion, due to the damage caused by the rains in recent weeks.
To negotiate the steep steps of the porch, the porters lowered the throne until the poles almost touched the ground. The scene took place in profound silence, only broken by the flashes of the cameras and mobile phones that immortalized the scene for another year.
Another of the most beautiful moments of the procession occurred at the collection. The Plaza de España remained in darkness until Soledad made her appearance through the arch of Calle Cava. The throne crossed the Plaza de España in the middle of a corridor of banners and lanterns that made up the different brotherhoods to guide the holder in collecting it towards the collegiate church through the carrerón.
Moments before the procession on Passion Saturday, the Brotherhood of La Curia granted the title of Big Sister to Elisa Campoy, former president of Paso Negro, a distinction that was awarded in 2020 but whose delivery has been delayed two years as a result of the pandemic of coronavirus.
#Loneliness #reigns #town