Holy Week in Moncada
The most distinctive feature of Holy Week in Moncada is the Misterio de la Pasión, a community Passion Play that turns a series of performance spaces into episodes from the life, Passion and death of Jesus. Local performers and volunteers sustain a tradition begun in the mid-20th century.
Dates and location
Performances of the Misterio usually take place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Venues have changed over time: the celebration's history is associated with natural settings such as the Santa Bárbara hermitage and, in recent editions, the sports ground of San Jaime Apóstol school in Moncada.
Origins of the performances
Valencia Provincial Council documents the first performances in 1960. From its earliest editions it was conceived as open-air theatre, and in 1967 it received recognition as a Performance of Tourist Interest. Decades of community work have renewed sets, costumes and effects without losing its collective character.
The staged narrative
The Misterio links scenes from the public life of Jesus and the Passion. The first evening usually moves from the Annunciation and Nativity through the Entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the prayer in the garden and the trial before the Sanhedrin. The second continues with Pilate, the road to Calvary and the Crucifixion.
A collective production
The performance depends on actors, supporting performers, direction, sound, lighting, costume, construction and visitor support. Together these tasks make the Misterio an expression of community participation as well as a religious and theatrical event within Holy Week in Moncada.