If you didn’t know the meaning behind this image, you might feel threatened or scared by it. It looks very sinister. But it’s nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan or anything like that. It’s about intense religious feeling. I shot it in Seville, Spain. I went there in April 2019, specifically to experience Semana Santa, their Holy Week: seven days of deeply religious ceremonies and rituals. Carrying crosses and wearing long robes, capes and pointed hoods that cover their faces, the Nazarenos take part in a massive, spectacular procession. “Nazarenos” take their name from Nazareth but are also known as los penitentes, the penitent ones. Their procession is about devotion and penitence. The parade goes on for miles – it’s one of the most impressive religious events you can see on the planet.
The streets are completely packed. The floats are incredible: they look like they weigh a ton. There are sculptures of the Virgin Mary on top and are decorated with thousands of flowers. They’re carried by the costaleros, and there are around 30 guys per float. They walk very slowly, with someone in a robe at the front directing them because they can’t see where they’re going. They’re just being told: “Take two steps forward. Take two steps to the right.” You have to wait for years if you want to take part in the parade, as either a nazareno or costalero. And they’re all male – I didn’t see any women in the costumes.
