From October 23 to 25, Alcalá de Henares will gather brotherhoods from the 15 Heritage Cities of Spain in a congress that combines faith, art, and monumental legacy.
Alcalá de Henares will be the venue for the IV National Congress of Holy Week and UNESCO Heritage Cities of Spain, which will take place from October 23 to 25. The meeting will bring together representatives from the brotherhoods and fraternities of the 15 Spanish cities declared World Heritage, who will share experiences, peculiarities, and challenges of this celebration where popular tradition, cultural heritage, and religious fervour converge.
The mayor, Judith Piquet, presented the congress this Thursday in the City Council's Plenary Hall, accompanied by the councillor for Festivals and Popular Traditions, Antonio Saldaña; the vicar of the Diocese of Alcalá, Ignacio Figueroa; and the president of the Board of Penitential Brotherhoods of Alcalá, Gregorio Manzanares. Also present were the general director of Heritage of the Community of Madrid, Bartolomé González, and other members of the Municipal Corporation.
Under the slogan 'Between Time and Eternity', the congress aims to show “how social customs, monumental legacy, religious devotion, and artistic wealth come together so uniquely in the historic and universal cities that are World Heritage”, as explained by Piquet. The mayor highlighted that these congresses have been promoted to “value, share knowledge and experiences, and enrich these expressions of faith, art, and popular heritage.”
Following the editions in Úbeda (2023), Mérida (2024), and Ibiza (2025), Alcalá de Henares hosts the fourth edition of an event that the mayor considers “a good opportunity” to continue promoting a centennial Holy Week, declared a National Tourist Interest Festival. “We are fortunate to enjoy a centennial, open, and diverse Holy Week,” said Piquet, who invited locals and visitors to participate in the event.
The programme will include presentations and debates featuring brotherhood members, clergy, historians, sculptors, and journalists, as well as an assembly of the Spanish Association of Holy Week and Heritage Cities, which will be chaired by the Board of Penitential Brotherhoods of Alcalá. The main venues will be the Archbishop's Palace, the Convent of Las Bernardas, the Cervantes Theatre, and the City Hall, although the congress will also be experienced in the streets of the historic centre.
Among the scheduled events is a parade by the Musical Group of La Columna and a procession featuring two emblematic images of the Passion of Alcalá: the Coronated Solitude and the Christ of the Doctrines. All information regarding the programme and registrations is available on the website congresosemanasantaalcala.es.
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