• Approves the change of the Board of Directors, whose presidency is now held by the mayor of Puente Genil and president of Caminos de Pasión, Sergio Velasco
• On the other hand, the approval has been given for the accession of the Portuguese municipality of Santa María da Feira, which joins the 12 partners that currently make up the European Network, representing 22 celebrations
• Among the actions for 2024, a Photography Contest or the new edition of the Meeting of Brotherhoods and Confraternities stand out, which will take place next May focused on young people

13.03.2024.- The European Network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations held its General Assembly yesterday morning in one of the institution’s partner municipalities, Lorca.

During it, held in the Huerto Ruano Palace, the change of presidency was approved, which, as its statutes state, is held by the president of Caminos de Pasión. Thus, the mayor of Puente Genil, Sergio Velasco, replaces the mayor of Priego de Córdoba, Juan Ramón Valdivia.

Likewise, the new Board of Directors was approved in which the first vice president becomes the representative of the Cabido da Sé Catedral de Braga, Rev. Cónego Avelino Amorim; the second vice president Santiago Parra, councilor for Culture, Tourism and IFELOR of the Lorca City Council; as secretary Gonzalo Damián, Councilor for Tourism of the Orihuela City Council; and as treasurer Jesús Fernández, second deputy mayor in the Viveiro City Council. In addition, new members from the newly acceded municipalities Idanha-a-Nova, Ovar, Óbidos and Santa María da Feira in Portugal, and Jelsa in Croatia have joined the Board of Directors.

On the other hand, the General Assembly approved the accession of the Portuguese municipality of Santa María da Feira, which joins the 22 partners that currently make up the European Network, and badges were presented to the new Portuguese partners attending to the meeting: Idanha-a-Nova, Ovar, Óbidos and Santa María da Feira.

Defense of the candidacy as a European Cultural Itinerary

In another order of affairs, the European Network has once again submitted its candidacy as European Cultural Itinerary for the 2023-2024 certification cycle before the Council of Europe.

The European Network will go to Luxembourg next May to defend this project.

During the Assembly the video defending the candidacy was presented, a project on which the institution has been working in recent years to join the more than 30 cultural itineraries throughout Europe positioned as an attraction of recognized value.

The video has been made by the plastic artist Antonio Rodríguez Ledesma, native of Utrera. He has participated in individual exhibitions in Madrid or Valencia, in international fairs and has awards in the various fields he covers, not only painting, but also graphic and audiovisual design. In 2018 he made the poster for Holy Week in Utrera, in 2021 for Holy Week in Chiclana de la Frontera and in 2023 the poster announcing the Romería del Rocío, among other projects.

The Meeting of Brotherhoods and Confraternities focused on youth returns in May

In reference to the activities and actions planned for this year 2024, the main actions to be developed will be the Holy Week 2024 Instagram Photography Contest or the new edition of the Meeting of Brotherhoods and Confraternities, which will take place next May focused on the role that young people are developing in the brotherhoods and their importance in the face of generational change.

Likewise, yesterday the General Assembly approved the celebration of a new edition of the European Holy Week Congress, which will be held next year 2025. The name of the host city of the event will be known in the near future. Finally, the accounts for the past fiscal year 2023 were advanced.

Present at the aforementioned General Assembly were: Priego de Córdoba and Puente Genil representing the Caminos de Pasión association, along with the also Spanish Orihuela, Viveiro and Lorca; Ovar, Idanha-a-Nova, Óbidos, Braga and Santa María da Feira, from Portugal; Birgu (Malta). During their stay in Lorca, the members of the European Network have had the opportunity to visit the Archaeological Park of the Jewish quarter and the Synagogue of the municipality, in addition to the historic center and the embroidery museums on these significant dates of Lent.

More about de European Network

The European Network of Holy Week and Easter celebrations was created in 2019 and includes the Italian Foundation Federico II, representing the municipalities of Palermo and Caltanissetta, Sicily (Italy); the municipality of Birgu in Malta; Jelsa, on the Island of Hvar in Croatia; the Commission for Lent and Holy Week Celebrations of Braga, Idanha a Nova and Ovar, in Portugal; the Representations of the Passion of Christ in Skofja Loka, Slovenia; the municipalities that are part of the Caminos de Pasión route: Alcalá la Real in Jaén, Baena, Cabra, Lucena, Priego de Córdoba and Puente Genil in Córdoba and Carmona, Écija Osuna and Utrera in Seville. Also within Spanish geography we find Orihuela in Alicante; Lorca in Murcia and Viveiro in Lugo.

Its objective is to promote and disseminate cultural heritage, both material and intangible, related to the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter through actions that value this heritage, promote sustainable tourism development around it and contribute to safeguard intangible heritage through scientific and research work. Likewise, its main purpose is to join forces and synergies to consolidate a model for studying, safeguarding and disseminating the heritage of the traditions of Holy Week and Easter in Europe.