The Four Floats of Gondomar, a sober and beautiful procession in the dark in rural Galicia

Holy Week is one of the most important celebrations in the Christian calendar, as it commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ.

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Spain has a long tradition of Holy Week processions. Those held in Andalusia are very elaborate and colorful. Those in northern Spain are more austere. In Galicia, there are cities with a long tradition of Holy Week processions, such as Ferrol and Pontevedra. In these towns, the floats are very striking, even by the standards of northern Spain, and the brotherhoods have many members.

In rural Galicia, more modest processions are also organized, such as those in Gondomar, a town of 15,000 inhabitants located south of Vigo, in the Miñor River valley, in the province of Pontevedra. This municipality has a small urban center, but a large part of its area lies in the Galiñeiro mountain range. One of the most beautiful processions in Gondomar is the Procession of the Four Floats, which takes place on Holy Thursday, after the celebration of the Last Supper in the Church of San Benito, from where the floats are carried down to the town center.

The name of this procession comes from the four floats that are carried in it: Christ carrying the Cross, Saint John the Evangelist, Our Lady of Sorrows, and the crucified Christ. They aren't very large floats, and there aren't many people to carry them, especially compared to the grand floats of Holy Week in Andalusia, but this Gondomar tradition remains alive despite the passage of time. It had been nine years since I last attended this procession, and apart from a few changes in Gondomar, it was like stepping back in time.

The town center lights are turned off to celebrate this procession, so it takes place in the dark, traditionally illuminated only by the lights of the floats and the candles carried by the locals who attend this event, and now also by the LED lights of the Vincios Musical Group, which usually participates in this religious march.

For those of us who live in a noisy city, it's surprising to see the streets dark and silent, hosting an event like this: a sober and beautiful procession that embodies the deep Christian roots of a people. You can see the video of the procession that I've posted on my YouTube channel:

You can see more photos of this procession here, which I have published on my Flickr account.