Holy Week ceremonies and processions
Among the processions that the Misericórdia of Vila Real organized every year in accordance with its bylaws, in addition to the obligatory ones on the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, there were also the Ash procession and the Holy Steps procession.
In our study of Holy Week processions in Vila Real, held under the aegis of the local Misericórdia, we decided to focus our attention in two main points: their structure, from an organizational and social standpoint, and the route made through the city, with its many variants, over a period of 128 years.
The functions that were to be performed during Lent were determined each year by the elected Board. In the ceremonies of the Holy Week, the Misericórdia sought that all tasks were carried out with the greatest dignity, giving a special attention to the quality and quantity of apparatuses, and when necessary, providing any material shortcoming.
