Introduction to the Lorca biblical embroideries and museums

The spectacular embroideries of Semana Santa in Lorca can be seen throughout the year in these four museums

Lorca embroideries are famed throughout Spain

Every town and city in the Region of Murcia has its curiosities, quirks and unique traditions, but none is as colourful and passionate as the Semana Santa (Easter week) celebrations in the City of Lorca, the outstanding feature of this extraordinary week being the embroideries created by the four Cofradías (or brotherhoods) which parade in the processions of the Lorca Semana Santa.

In 2007 the Semana Santa week in Lorca was officially classified as an event of “international tourist interest” and in 2014 the tradition of embroidery in Lorca was officially “protected” by its classification of BIC status, or Bien de Interés Cultural. It is now an official candidate for receiving the classification of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” status by UNESCO, a testament to the hundreds of thousands of hours which have been dedicated to creating these unique artworks, a selection of which can be seen in the four museums run by the Cofradías in the city centre.

If your time schedule permits, try and visit all four, as each has its own unique characteristics, its own particular treasures, and its own personality, each complementing the pieces in the others, in an ebullient celebration of faith and pride.

It is possible to visit all four in one morning, providing an early start is made, and also feasible to walk between all four with a reasonable level of basic fitness, although those who are able to dedicate more than one visit to the city can spread out the visits and enjoy a more leisurely pace, with coffee breaks, time to fit in a spot of shopping and a chance to enjoy the many monuments and historic buildings encountered en-route.

It is well worth investing in the bargain wristband sold by the Tourist Office and Convento de la Merced visitor centre, which gives entry into all four museums, the castle and the visitor centre for just 8 euros and does not have an expiry date, so the visits can be spread out over a period of months. These wristbands are currently unavailable due to the pandemic (December 2021).

When tickets are on sale for the Semana Santa processions these can also be purchased directly from the museums of the Paso Blanco (the whites) and the Paso Azul (the blues).

Although all of the processions in Lorca feature embroidered standards and tunics, the city is most famous for its “Biblical processions” which include horses and chariots, daring feats of horsemanship, vast floats, vibrant embroidered cloaks and thousands of participants, recounting not only the story of the passion and the acts leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, but also some of the best known figures and stories from the Old and New Testaments.

The cloaks are embroidered by hand, using silk, gold and silver thread and range in size from the hem of a tunic to vast cloaks of several square meters which could easily be mistaken for paintings at a first glance, so fine and detailed is the quality of the work, and cost thousands of euros to create.

These are all made in the workshops of the Cofradías themselves, financed by the sale of tickets for the processions and the membership fees paid by the Cofradía members, the money raised by opening the museums to the public paying for the maintenance of the existing collection, creation of new pieces and upkeep of the museums.

Rivalry between the two principal brotherhoods, the Paso Blanco and the Paso Azul, is intense,each striving to outdo the other with the splendour and beauty of its creations, the new cloaks a fiercely guarded secret as they are painstakingly created, a process which frequently requires years of dedicated work.

Each year the cofradías unveil their latest creations on the eve of Semana Santa, displaying their finest embroideries in their museums and churches as the floats are prepared for a week of processions and intense emotion.

Nearly everyone in Lorca will profess a loyalty to either the whites or the blues, and the extraordinary scenes in the streets as the processions file through the streets has to be experienced to be believed, so if you have the chance to come to Lorca during Easter Week, then be prepared to be amazed by the spectacle which will unfold before you.

If this isn't possible, then visit the four museums and marvel at the extraordinary skill of the embroiderers of Lorca and the collections held by the Cofradías.

The four museums of the Cofradías in Lorca:

MASS

MASS: The Museo Azul belonging to the Hermandad de Labradores, or "the blues", commonly known as the Paso Azul

Address: On the corner of Calle Nogalte and Calle Cuesta de San Francisco

Telephone: 968 472 077

Opening Hours: The MASS is open from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 2pm and between 5pm and 7.30pm. And on Sundays, the opening hours are 11am to 2pm. The opening hours may vary in the summer. Over the museum remains closed on most bank holidays, including December 25, January 1 and January 6.

Admission costs 3€, with a 50 cent discount for retirees and students.

Click for full information about the MASS and Paso Azul

MUBBLA

MUBBLA:Museo de Bordados del Paso Blanco belonging to the Real e Ilustre Archicofradía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (the whites)

The museum is open every day of the week from 10.30am to 2pm, and during the afternoon from Monday to Saturday between 5pm and 8pm. On Sundays the MuBBla opens only in the morning.

MUBBLA, Museo de Bordados del Paso Blanco,

Conjunto Monumental de Santo Domingo, 8

30800 LORCA

Telephone: 968 461 813

Admission costs 2.50€, with reduced rates for retirees, students and large groups. Under 12s can enter for free.

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The “Nicolás Salzillo, Il Maestro” museum of the Paso Morado in Lorca

The museum of the Paso Morado is on Calle Nogalte, 43, almost next door to the 18^th-century Iglesia del Carmen which is the religious seat of the brotherhood.

Opening hours: the museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Friday between 11am and 1pm and 6pm and 8.30pm (December 2021). On Saturdays the museum is only open during the mornings from 11am to 1.30pm. The museum is closed on Sundays and most bank holidays.

Admission fee: 1.50€ per head, reduced rates 1.10€.

To book group visits contact the Paso Morado by email at pasomoradolorca@gmail.com

Address: Museo de Bordados del Paso Morado, Calle Nogalte, 43, 30800 Lorca

Telephone: 902 400 047 / 968 467 959

Click for full information about visiting the “Nicolás Salzillo, Il Maestro” museum of the Paso Morado

The MuPaEn embroidery museum of the Paso Encarnado

The Museo de Bordados del Paso Encarnado, often known by the acronym MuPaEn, is operated by the Paso Encarnado, officially entitled the Archicofradía del Santísimo Cristo de la Sangre, with red as the core colour.

Visiting the MuPaEn

Opening times: TEMPORARILY CLOSED (December 2021).

Admission fee: 1.50€ (1.10€ for children and pensioners)

Address: Calle Eulogio Periago, 2, 30800 Lorca

Telephone: 968 400 047 / 968 472 456

Email: info@pasoencarnado.es

Click for full information about visiting the MuPaEn embroidery museum of the Paso Encarnado

The museum is located on the northern side of the rambla which circles the east of the city of Lorca, in Calle Eulogio Periago, under 100 metres from the bridge of Puente Alberca and is the only museum on the northern bank.

if possible, it is recommended that this be the first on a route of the museums, as the remaining three museums are fairly close together and it is more logical to visit them afterwards.

A parking space for those of limited mobility is located 180 metres from the entrance to the museum in Calle Turbinto, while the nearest public car park is the Parking Pasarela, which contains 12 spaces for disabled drivers. Many visitors choose to park alongside the Convento de la Merced which offers a special all-day parking rate

Tourist Information for groups and visitors visiting the embroidery museums

The Tourist Information Office in Lorca will be happy to assist groups intending to visit the embroidery museums who would like assistance in organising routes or arranging visits to more than one location in the city, with or without accommodation, catering or guides.
Individual visitors will also find the office in the Plaza de España extremely useful as a stop-off point for leaflets, maps or practical advice.

Click here for the Tourist Information Office

Click here for further information about any aspect of visiting Lorca: LORCA TODAY