Semana Santa takes place the week leading up to the Easter weekend and consists of processions in which enormous 'pasos' (floats) are carried around the streets of Seville by teams of 'costaleros' (bearers) followed by hundreds of 'nazarenos' (penitents). Many of these floats are religious works of art that date back as far as the 17th century, each showing a small part of the Easter story.

Its origin dates back to the sixteenth century, more precisely in 1521 when the first Marquis of Tarifa (Fadrique Don Enrique de Ribera), introduced the cult or procession in the street, thus institutionalizing the Via Crucis, after his trip to the Holy Land.

From this date is used to celebrate every year, being divided into different stages marked with crosses and portable altars, establishing a space for the public worship. Since then this event has been in constant evolution. Thus the present Easter has little to do with other periods, although it survives in the religious spirit that was the origin of it.

The act has undergone several interventionism, especially in legal terms, an example is when the legislation issued by the Council of Trent imposes prohibition of certain ceremonies and promote the regulation of passion suppressing the proliferation of events and parades at that time. In 1604 it laid the groundwork for further monitoring, which requires all processions to pass through a particular place: the processions of Seville by the Cathedral and the processions of Triana by the Santana. It is from this point that the Confraria begins to take shape above the current model.

As the eighteenth century and social conflicts due to the brotherhoods experience a slight decline, which is superseded by the entry of new social elements, the first Guild emerging around a neighborhood.
In the early twentieth century, current models are conceived courtship processional leading to the creation of different Brotherhoods and the transformation of some existing ones. At this time, Holy Week in Seville reflects the vicissitudes of the history of Spain (social revolts, clashes, Civil War).

In the second half of the century crystallizes the current model of paying off an Easter event universally recognized, comprehensive and complex, which is intimately united devotion, aesthetics and popular celebration.
Nowadays you can see thousands of people line the streets, throughout the city, waiting to catch a glimpse of the processions, each of which takes many hours between leaving its parish and returning there after following a set route around the city. Each of over 50 brotherhoods (cofradías) have two enormous floats.
The obvious way to enjoy the processions is to find a spot amongst the crowds and wait for the floats to go by. Their movement is very slow so once they come into view you may well be able to see them for a long time. Every float leaves its parish and heads for the official route from the north of C/Sierpes via Avda de la Constitución to the Cathedral where they enter from the west and depart fro the east to return to their starting place.

Another interesting way to appreciate the enormity and the beauty of the floats is to visit the church where they come from. Two of note are in the Basílica de la Macarena and the Basílica de Jesús del Gran Poder which are west of the main tourist area. Here you'll see a constant stream of parishioners dropping into their church to pay tribute to the Virgin and admire the beautiful floats which reside inside.