Madrid during Easter is a great time for discovering how people in town celebrate this religious and traditional moment. But there are plenty of plans to have fun in the spanish capital on these days, and we have chosen 5 different activities and sightseeing:
Processions
During the week leading up to Easter, sculptures and carved images are adorned with candles and flowers for the processions that take them through emblematic places such as the Alcalá Street, Puerta del Sol, Paseo del Prado, or the iconic Plaza Mayor, just near to the San Miguel´s Market. During the processions they will be accompanied by dozens of penitents. One of the most famous of Madrid’s Easter parades is the Cristo de Medinaceli, and it takes place on Friday 14th. If you want to view programme to check times and routes 2017, clic here.
Gastronomy
Easter Week in Madrid is accompanied by the preparation of typical dishes, one of the essential items served up in Madrid is the torrija, a sweet treat made using bread in milk with cinnamon, then fried and sprinkled with sugar or honey, a great pairing for Pedro Ximenez sherry.
Typical fish dishes include Soldaditos de Pavía –crispy fried chunks of cod–; Madrid style chickpea stew, with spinach, cod, potatoes and hard-boiled egg, and cod croquettes.
Sacred Music
Easter Week celebrations in Madrid are usually accompanied by sacred music. Churches such as the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the Parish Church of Santa Cruz and the Pontifical Basilica of San Miguel will be hosting Sacred music to accompany Easter Week, a series of concerts on 11 and 12 April with free entry until capacity is reached.
There is another series of concerts as part of the San Ginés Organ Music season, one concert on 12 April played by young organists and great maestros to bring audiences music that commemorates the 4th Centenary of the Plaza Mayor and a show entitled Flamenco Saetas: Three generations, two concerts (14 and 15 in the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de la Villa, respectively, accompanying the Easter Week processions), with five flamenco singers from different generations and with different styles, showcasing the richness of this art form.
The Path to Guernica
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Major new exhibition at Madrid’s Reina Sofia museum sheds new light on painting of aerial bombing of Basque town during the Spanish Civil War. On the occasion of the 80 anniversary of the first time Guernica was shown, this exhibition deals with Picasso’s view of modern war, as shown by his imagery of agony, perplexity, and horror. The exhibition will be until 4 September in Reina Sofia Museum. More information here.
La Tamborrada
To conclude Easter Week and celebrate Easter Sunday, a Tamborrada Maña will be coming to the Plaza Mayor, setting off on a route in which religious guilds accompanied by drums will be providing the soundtrack to the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death.
Have a nice Easter Week!