History
The foundation of the Archconfraternity, as is recorded in the parish books, dates back to the first years of the 16th century, appearing as a Confraternity of adoration and worship of the Santísimo Sacramento. It has several Papal Bulls granting indulgences: Paul V in 1606, Clement X in 1676, Benedict XII in 1749, Leo XII in 1828 and Pius VII in 1845.
The first written documentation that the Archconfraternity possesses dates back to 1859, the year of its restructuring and in which its Statutes were approved by the Ecclesiastical judge of this City and Knight of the Order of Santiago, Francisco Delgado y Ayala; Francisco Gabriel Leal being at that time the parish priest of San Bartolomé. These Statutes were published in Seville that same year and were written by D. Francisco Pérez de Guzmán y Sotomayor and D. Ramón Ceballos y Rico, the presidents of the Archconfraternity.
The first paso of the Archconfraternity was of the Lord´s Supper. Likewise, in a document from 1870, the ‘Señor de la Humildad’ was named as the titular paso of the Archconfraternity.
In February 1953, the image of the ‘Cristo de la Piedad’ was incorporated, which was only carried in procession for one year. It would not process through the streets of Jerez again until 1973, after being restored by the sculptor León Ortega from Huelva in 1972, who confirmed the delicateness of the carving.
Later, in 1974, the Sevillian sculptor-imaginer Luis Álvarez Duarte was commissioned to create a Dolorosa in order to be the Virgen del Reposo
Sorrowful Virgin for the Virgen del Reposo, the patron saint of the Archconfraternity, a Marian devotion of Glory. The new Dolorosa was carried in procession that same year under the title of María Santísima de la Paz. In the year 2001, she was given the title of Godmother of the Municipal Police of Jerez de los Caballeros. The Virgen del Reposo is now carried in procession every 24th August alongside the Patron Saint, Saint Bartholomew.
The band of cornets and drums was inaugurated in 1995, but a few years later it would disappear.
The Nazarenes wear a white tunic with light blue buttons and a cape, as well as a smock, a belt and a capirote[1] in the aforementioned color. They also wear a medal around their necks and the coat of arms embroidered on the cape.
Titulars
Santa Cena
Jesus is shown surrounded by the apostles at the Lord’s Supper. The author is unknown, although it is known that the images were made in Italy in the 18th century and made in terracotta. The last restoration of the apostles was carried out by the artist and restorer Jesús Salvador Pastelero from Jerez.
The colorful robes of the apostles, the attitude of Christ and the plastic movement of the figures make this paso one of the most appreciated in the Holy Week of Jerez.
In 2008, the Archconfraternity embarked on a new platform for the Passage of the Lord’s Supper. The platforms are made in the Sevillian workshops of Orfebrería San Juan[2].
The first phase of the project consists of the construction of the entire interior structure in wood, as well as the new platforms to carry out the weight of the images. The frontal will be used for the first time during Easter Week of this year. The Paso is being made of chiseled and silver-plated metal, and consists of two floors: the lower one, where the vents will be placed, and the upper one, which looks like a small castle, where the figures will be placed.
Jesus ante Pilato
Jesus is facing Pilate, who washes his hands while the crier pronounces the sentence. The Señor de la Humildad was restored in 2000 by the Sevillian sculptor and image-maker Ventura Gómez Rodríguez. The intervention consisted of replacing the body of Jesus with a new full-size one, made of cedar wood, more realistic, expressive and with carved hair. The face of the original carving from 1871, by an unknown artist, has been preserved. It wears a magnificent tunic of great value from the 19th century, embroidered in gold thread on purple velvet.
The same sculptor-imaginer made the rest of the images of the sculptural group (the Town Crier Decurion, Centurion, the Child and Pilate), due to the poor condition of the old images that composed the sentence. These secondary images are full-size, except for town crier and Pilate, who are candlesticks. Both the gold and silver work and the clothes were made in workshops in Mairena del Alcor.
The platform was made in three phases and completed in 2002. It is made up of panels, carved by Ramón García Mora and gilded by Juan Manuel Expósito. It also has various painted corbels with the old Via Crucis belonging to the Archconfraternity. The processions were completely restructured in 2019 by a member of the Brotherhood, Juan Gómez Jiménez. It is carried by 40 men.
Cristo de la Piedad
Represent the crucifixion carved in birch wood, by an anonymous author. It is thought to be dated back to the 16th century and it could belong to the Castilian school of sculpture, from the circle of Gregorio Fernández.
It was incorporated into the Archconfraternity in February 1953 and only went on procession for one year. Until then, it presided over the funeral chapel of the Marquis of Rianzuela. In 1972, the sculpture was exhibited and carefully restored by the sculptor León Ortega who was born in Huelva, in order to protect this jewel of religious art from the natural actions of the passing of time. It returned to procession in 1973, continuing every Maundy Thursday until the present day.
In 1991, the Cristo de la Piedad was again restored in the workshops of Manuel Escamilla Barba, of the Seville School of Architecture. Likewise, in 2019, the cross that carries the Christ underwent a cleaning process and a preventive treatment of the wood against the attack of possible xylophages by the company Antiguo & Garbi Sevilla, from Mairena del Aljarafe (Seville). It was also varnished by a member, Juan Gómez Jiménez.
It is carried on a carved mahogany platform, acquired in Bollullos del Condado in 1980. The torches that light up the Christ were also carved in mahogany wood in 1999 by the carver Ramón García Mora, from Badajoz. In 2017, the aforementioned platforms were restored by a brother, Juan Gómez Jiménez. It consists of 29 members, men and women.
Virgen the la Paz
Referring to the Dolorosa, belonging to the Andalusian school. It was made in 1975 by the Sevillian sculptor and image-maker Luis Álvarez Duarte and restored by the same author in 1997.
The crown worn by the Virgin was made of gilded silver in 1976 in the workshops of the Sevillian goldsmith Manuel de los Ríos. She wears an impressive mantle and a black velvet roman sagum, embroidered in gold thread and made in Jerez de los Caballeros at the end of the 19th century. The headdress was hand-woven in gold, on gold thread mesh in the workshops of the Sevillian embroiderer Francisco Franco Ortega, and completed in 2004.
Since 2019 it has a dagger anonymously donated by a family close to the Archconfraternity. It is a beautiful ornament, with nineteenth-century lines and matching the old embroidery of the sackcloth and cloak, designed and chiseled by hand on metal and finished off in gold and silver by the goldsmith Manuel Arenas from Algeciras.
The platform was made of embossed silver in the workshops of the Sevillian goldsmith Manuel de los Ríos in 1977. It has a beautiful set of silver-plated metal amphorae, also made that year by the same goldsmith. Later, in 2011, the platforms were restored and silver-plated.
The candlestick, made up of fifty candelabras of silver-plated metal, chiseled and with gray cast iron, was made in 2001 by the goldsmith Angulo Ramírez from Malaga.
In 2007, the canopy work began in the workshops of Francisco Franco Ortega. The canopy is made of midnight blue velvet and supported by embossed silver poles, acquired from the Brotherhood of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and Nuestra Señora del Rosario, from Jerez de los Caballeros. That same year, the Dolorosa made her first procession under a canopy and with the front of the frontal canopy embroidered (on the exterior and interior) in fine gold thread. In successive years, the back and the lateral side of the altarpiece have been added. Currently, one side and the roof of the canopy have not been finished. The image is carried by 32 brothers and sisters.
Events and celebrations
The Archconfraternity, together with the Town Council of Jerez de los Caballeros, organize the traditional Suelta del Diablo (23rd August), linked to the Festivity of the Patron Saint, Saint Bartholomew (24th August).
This festivity, of cultural and religious interest, has been promoted in recent years thanks to a group of brothers and sisters, known as the Commission of the Patron Saint.
Brotherhood House
Located in the Barriada de San Bartolomé, the Archconfraternity opened the Brotherhood House in 2006. Currently, it is used as a meeting room for the Governing Board and the different groups that belong to the Archconfraternity (Youth Group, Guarder, Patron Saint’s Commission, Costaleros[3]). There are also plans to set up a museum of religious objects.
[1] Spain conical hat of the Holy Week
[2] Silvermithing
[3] Person who carry the weight of the procesional float
