The Passions, the most ancient traditions of religious Holy Week

Below we present a selection of the most outstanding Passion plays and suggest alternatives to discover the towns that host them and their surroundings, apart from the religious customs that set the rhythm of this festival.

The Passion of Esparreguera

With centuries of history behind it, the Passion Play Theatre of Esparreguera hosts a new edition of a spectacle that moves thousands of spectators year after year. The new season of La Passió maintains its commitment to offering a complete theatrical experience. The classic and traditional version, written in verse and structured in four acts with morning and afternoon performances, will continue this season, with some adjustments that allow for greater stage fluidity without losing its essence. This year will be one of the last opportunities to see the morning and afternoon format, as from next season onwards it will be reserved for exceptional performances.

The new format of The Passion of Esparreguera has been consolidated after four successful seasons. Running for two and a half hours, this version adopts a style closer to contemporary theater, with a current and direct script that connects with new audiences without sacrificing the fundamental values ​​of the story. Both productions are notable for their powerful and visually striking set design, as well as their ability to move the audience and draw them into the story. In both the traditional and the new format, music, text, and set design are combined with the participation of a live orchestra and choir, one of the most distinctive features of The Passion of Esparreguera.

The season will run from March 15 to May 1, with a total of 3 performances of the traditional version and 6 performances of the new format. Awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2012 and declared of national interest in 1983, the Passion Play of Esparreguera is heir to a popular tradition that links centuries of history with the present, while evolving and maintaining its identity.

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The Sedó Colony in Esparreguera, founded in 1846, was the first and largest industrial textile colony in Catalonia. Today, the Sedó Colony Museum is part of the Territorial System of the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia. It offers guided tours (by prior reservation) to learn about the colony's structure and operation. The colony preserves a large 1,400 HP turbine from the 19th century, which provided the necessary energy for the factory's spinning and weaving sections. The tour also allows visitors to explore the turbine's water inlet pipe and learn about the operation of a small hydroelectric power plant, which helps explain how hydraulic energy is harnessed. Visitors can also tour the museum's basement and walk through the galleries of the now-demolished factory.

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The Passion of Cervera

The Passion Play of Cervera, declared a Treasure of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Catalonia along with those of Ulldecona, Olesa de Montserrat, and Esparreguera, has been performed in the capital of the Segarra region for over 500 years. In fact, it is considered the oldest Passion Play in the world, with origins dating back to 1477, as some historians and various studies conducted by the Sorbonne University in Paris have noted. Given the historical and social importance of this work, the performances of the Passion Play of Cervera were declared of public interest in 1969. The text remains the same as when it was first staged, but the staging has undergone many improvements, primarily due to the professionalization of the artistic direction. Over the years, two side stages have also been added to the Gran Teatre de la Pasión (Grand Theater of the Passion), offering a spectacular view with a total proscenium opening of forty meters, making it the theater with the largest proscenium opening in Spain and the third largest in Europe.

In this year's performances, one of the main new features—besides the gradual renewal of the cast with the addition of new actors and actresses—is the revision and enhancement of the Resurrection scene, aiming for a more spectacular effect than in previous seasons. Furthermore, this year will also see an increased use of new lighting technologies, which will reinforce the visual atmosphere at various key moments in the performance. The 2026 season of The Passion of Cervera will consist of six performances. Following those on March 7, 14, and 21, the season will continue on Saturday, March 28, and April 3 and 11. All performances take place in the afternoon.

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The most important and representative building in the municipality, due to its historical significance, is the University of Cervera. Declared a cultural asset of national interest, it is an enclosed building structured around three interior courtyards. It is notable for its tall Baroque façade with stone blocks, framed by a portal with two columns on each side. Founded by Philip V in 1717, the university's most prominent space is the assembly hall, which also includes the chapel. Guided tours are available and can be combined with walks through the old town and a visit to the Church of Santa María de Cervera and its bell tower, approximately 50 meters high and of Gothic architecture dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.

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The Passion of Ulldecona

As explained by the organizers of the Passion Play of Ulldecona, in 2012 a unique document dated 1512 was found in the Chapter and Diocesan archives of Tortosa, certifying that religious performances had been taking place in this town in the Montsià region for over 500 years. However, the Passion Play of Ulldecona has been performed almost continuously since 1955. Initially, the performances were in Spanish and several texts were used, until Josep Maria Junyent Quintana's play premiered in 1964. In 1993, Jaume Vidal i Alcover's play was staged in Catalan, and both versions were performed concurrently. In 2014, a new version by playwright Ignasi Roda i Fàbregas premiered in Catalan, after he had updated the Gospel text based on Junyent Quintana's original work. Finally, in 2016, a unified stage, structural, literary, and dramatic version was achieved in both Catalan and Spanish.

Ulldecona offers a representation of the events with the intimacy, contemplation, and closeness afforded by the dimensions of its performance space. The performances, which began Saturday afternoon and have drawn over a hundred people, will also take place on March 29 at 5 p.m. (in Catalan), and on April 4 and 12 at 5 p.m. (in Spanish) at the Teatre Orfeó Montsià in Ulldecona. Furthermore, this year, the Passion Play of Ulldecona will travel to Barcelona. On Saturday, May 2, at 9 p.m., the façade of the Sagrada Família will be transformed into the stage for a nighttime performance. Playing with light and the expressive power of the façade, the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion, and the Descent from the Cross will be depicted, culminating in the singing of the Agnus Dei, the musical and spiritual climax of the evening.

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Nature and heritage converge in this municipality of Montsià. Within the municipality of Ulldecona, more than 1,600 ancient olive trees have been inventoried, spread across its 126 square kilometers. If you wish to see them up close and learn about their history, you can visit the ancient olive grove areas of La Hoya and El Camino del Montsià. With a guided tour, you can discover the Arion Ancient Olive Tree Natural Museum, home to the world's largest concentration of these historic trees. You can continue your journey through time with a visit to the rock paintings of the Sierra de Godall, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. It is one of the most important collections of Levantine rock art on the entire Iberian Peninsula, painted more than 8,000 years ago.

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The Passion of Olesa de Montserrat

For nearly five centuries, in Olesa de Montserrat, the tradition of performing the Passion Play has been passed down from generation to generation. The first written record of this event dates back to 1538, and over time, the play has transcended its original, strictly Holy Week context. The tradition has survived to the present day with some modifications, and two years after the 2020 pandemic, which prevented its performance, a co-direction team took on the challenge of staging a new version of the Passion Play of Olesa. Under the direction of Xavier Povill and Joan Gil, a completely revamped, much shorter production premiered, featuring a new approach to dramaturgical, technical, and scenographic treatment. As the organization points out, this transformation humanized the Passion of Olesa: the main characters clearly show their feelings, doubts, contradictions and joys, and also fears, hatreds and sadness, so that the public can find and recognize those emotions that are shared by everyone.

Thus, year after year, around a thousand people make the Passion Play of Olesa de Montserrat possible, entirely selflessly, in a display of collective effort to keep this spectacle alive, a spectacle that forms part of Catalonia's cultural heritage. In fact, in 2002 it was the first Passion Play to receive the Creu de Sant Jordi (Cross of Saint George). This year, the performances will take place over several days between March 15 and May 1. All performances can be seen with simultaneous subtitles in Spanish and English at the Passion Play Theatre in the town, which boasts one of the largest stages in all of Europe.

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You can visit the Clock Tower, dating from the 14th and 16th centuries, one of the town's most significant and representative landmarks. Standing over 25 meters tall, it was originally built as a defensive tower attached to Olesa Castle. Inside, you can visit the former prison on the ground floor, the school on the first floor, and the audiovisual presentation. At the ringing of bells On the intermediate platform, the machinery of the town clock is located on the upper level, and finally, the clock tower with its bells crowns the tower. From there, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding area, dominated by the Montserrat mountains. If you prefer walking, you can also take a route to the Coll de les Espadés viewpoint, a true balcony overlooking the sacred mountain.

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The Procession of Virgins

A profound silence and the resounding beat of a drum. Holy Thursday in Verges is Procession Night, one of the oldest Holy Week celebrations in Catalonia, with documented origins dating back to 1666. It began as a religious performance to convey the stories of Christ's Passion to the people through sacred theater. The afternoon procession of the women in the village is the prelude to the evening performance of the Passion Play in the village's main square. A highlight of the performance is the Dance of Death, a unique medieval dance in Europe that symbolizes the fragility of life. Five skeletons remind us of the inevitability of death and the fragility of life as they advance through the streets of this Baix Empordà town in a cross formation, their sharp, precise movements synchronized to the beat of a drum. All of them make this part the most iconic and unique moment of the Procession, which begins when the performance ends and travels through the streets illuminated with torches and oil-filled snails alongside the protagonists of other scenes that have been seen in the square.

Verges is the only Catalan town that preserves this reenactment, and for this reason, the Procession was declared a traditional festival of national interest in 1983. This year, 2026, three notable new features are being incorporated: the reenactment of the Ram scene in the town square to make the wait more lively; a new order of action for the itinerant Procession intended to make everything more agile and fluid; and, while the main Procession only takes place on Holy Thursday, a children's version of the festival, the Little Procession, is held on Holy Saturday afternoon.

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The area around Verges, on the banks of the Ter River, is privileged and ideal for hiking, cycling, and even kayaking. Without leaving the village, you can stroll through the streets and lose yourself in its walled center, the oldest part of town, where you'll find the Church of Sant Julià and Santa Basilissa, a veritable puzzle of styles: the semicircular apse and the eastern half of the nave are Romanesque; the rest of the nave, the side chapels, and the sacristy are Neo-Gothic, while the bell tower is Neoclassical. You can also follow the section of the Molí irrigation channel—which runs parallel to the street of the same name and corresponds to the old moat of the town walls—and explore the old washhouses and watering troughs, where there's a gateway to the old quarter.

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The Passion of Vilalba dels Arcs

In the Terra Alta region, the Passion Play is celebrated in Vilalba dels Arcs. Performances are held on Holy Thursday in a nighttime version, where the Calvary scene is illuminated with fire to guide the actors and spectators to the end of the performance, and on Holy Saturday in an afternoon version, attended by people of all ages, with music and bonfires that are relit to announce the end of the final act. The play unfolds through the streets and squares of the town's historic center, with the audience participating in the twelve scenes as they mingle with the actors, lending the performance a greater sense of realism.

The Passion Play of Vilalba is a relatively recent creation, celebrating its 31st edition this year. It is a part of Catalonia's festive heritage and a Festival of Regional Interest. The performances, which initially took place only on Holy Saturday, began in 1996, an initiative of the local theater group La Pirindola. Its members, after performing two plays, decided to stage the Passion of Christ. A key factor in their decision was that Joan Povill, author of the Passion Play of Olesa de Montserrat, was a native of the town. The Passion Play of Vilalba focuses on the social aspects of the biblical story, with women playing a particularly prominent role. Oil lamps, sackcloth, the aroma of aromatic herbs, and the sound of jackdaws also play a significant part, enveloping this performance without special effects and emphasizing the power of the characters' words and dialogue.

The performances are complemented by other activities, such as a craft market and a tasting of La Passió wine, as different wineries in the municipality produce a wine each year using traditional methods, just as they did in Roman times. The entire process is artisanal, from the grape harvest to the racking and storage in clay amphorae.

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The Terra Alta region was the scene of the bloody Battle of the Ebro. Its surroundings contain several memorial sites worth visiting to understand the scale of the conflict, such as the Els Barrancs trench line. This line formed part of the Republican defense network between Vilalba dels Arcs and La Pobla de Massaluca, and some 700 meters of it, along with many of its original features, such as rifle pits, shelters, barracks, and evacuation lines, are still preserved. From the Bassot viewpoint, you can also see the scene of the intense fighting between Franco's forces and Republicans, which took place between July 25th and 29th, 1938. And although it's not directly accessible from Vilalba, if you enjoy cycling, the Terra Alta Greenway is one of the best options for exploring the region and enjoying the scenery.