Corpus Christi is one of the main religious festivities in Seville and one of the most important in Spain. We invite you to learn about the history of this tradition and the way of living it in Seville.
The Corpus Christi festival has a long tradition and many centuries of roots in the city of Seville. It is celebrated sixty days after Easter Sunday, always on a Thursday. This traditional Feast of the Catholic Church dates back to the late Middle Ages and is dedicated to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, as represented by bread and wine.
The Corpus Christi procession is the great public Sacramental act of the city; for a few hours, God is present in the streets of Seville. It is, therefore, for the Catholics of Seville, one of the most important manifestations of religiosity, faith and respect.
At dawn on the day of Corpus Christi there is a great atmosphere of jubilation around the Cathedral, and it is one of the most radiant mornings in Seville's festive calendar. The bells of the Giralda ring out incessantly, even more so when the Custody leaves the Cathedral to announce that God is in the street.
Entire families in their best clothes look for a corner so as not to miss this procession. The streets and squares are carpeted with aromatic plants (sedge and rosemary) and from the night before they are decorated in their best clothes. On balconies, in shop windows, doorways and churches, altars are erected with Eucharistic and Marian religious motifs alluding to this feast.
As night falls on the eve of Thursday in Seville there is a festive atmosphere. The city takes to the streets to admire the ephemeral altars that are installed along the route of the procession, highlighting the decoration of the Plaza de San Francisco, next to the Town Hall, where two large arches of ephemeral architecture (with motifs alluding to churches and monuments of the city) and a large altar with the image of the Virgen de la Hiniesta Gloriosa (patron saint of the City of Seville) are mounted.
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There will be music concerts in San Francisco square.
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We can contemplate the exquisite decoration of the shop windows of different businesses and the beauty of the bouquets of flowers, pastries, hangings, flags and shawls with which the balconies of the historic centre are usually decorated.
There are music concerts in the Plaza de San Francisco and people take advantage of the extraordinary climate of the city to enjoy the gastronomy and to chat in the bars and restaurants of the area until late at night.
On Corpus Christi Thursday, you have to get up quite early, as the Pontifical Mass begins at half past eight in the morning and is presided over by the Archbishop. The Cathedral Chapter, the clergy and the main civil and military authorities of the city take part. The Seises, whose origins date back to the 16th century, will dance during this event; it consists of a dance group made up of ten children aged between 9 and 12 years old. They dance in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the High Altar of the Cathedral on three occasions a year: the Octave of Corpus Christi (during the eight days following the feast), the Octave of the feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December) and during the Carnival Triduum (three days before Ash Wednesday).
The Seises dance religious compositions with choreographies that are symmetrical to each other. They carry castanets (wooden percussion instruments) in their hands, which they play to the sound of their dances. Their traditional costumes date back to the 17th century, using red for Corpus Christi and the Carnival Triduum and light blue for the Immaculate Conception. They enjoy the privilege by papal bull of being able to dance before the Blessed Sacrament covered by a characteristic hat with a turned-up front brim adorned with feathers. On the feast of Corpus Christi, during mass, the Seises perform three dances, the first dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, the second to the Archbishop and the third to the Municipal Corporation. At the end of the latter, the Mayor presents them with the traditional gold doubloon as a gift.
The procession will start at 8:30am.
It is advisable to get a seat (for a small fee) on the chairs located in certain sections of the streets along the route, as the procession is a long one (around three thousand people take part), thus avoiding possible fatigue during the long procession. It would also be a good idea to take shelter in the shade, as the sun is already very hot at this time of day, which is why various awnings are set up in the streets and squares to protect the public from the heat. We will enjoy the colour, the solemnity and the artistic and patrimonial waste of the procession and the thousand details that we can admire.
At around midday, a few minutes after the entrance of the Monstrance, we can watch the traditional parade of the army troops taking part in the procession in the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes. Later, from the altar located at the side door of the Archbishop's Palace, the procession of the procession of the Christ of the Sacred Supper (carried by costaleros to the sound of bugle and drum marches) will depart for its return to its Church in the Convento de los Terceros, which will enter at around 15:00 hours. Also in the evening, at around 20:00 hours, the procession with the Virgen de la Hiniesta will return to the Church of San Julián from the altar installed in the Town Hall.
For bullfighting enthusiasts it is customary, after enjoying the unique gastronomic offerings of this city, its magnificent restaurants and bars, after a succulent lunch and a short break, the delight of going to see the bullfight which is traditionally held in the Real Maestranza on this special day. After this bullfighting experience, let yourself be carried away by the city, lose yourself in the charm of its streets, squares and gardens; enjoy the atmosphere of the Sevillian night, the freshness of its outdoor terraces or by the Guadalquivir river, the hospitality of its people... live the city to the full.
