The origins of the Cofradîa del Santîsimo Cristo de la Expiración y Marîa Santîsima de los Dolores Coronada religious society date back to the XVIII century, when the Cofradîa de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores society was set up at the church of San Pedro between 1783 and 1789, the latter year seeing. the society’s Constitutions established in accordance with Royal Law.

This Cofradîa was based on the worship of the image of the virgin referred to in its name. No mention of the image of Cristo de la Expiración is found until 1800, when documents refer to its presence in a chapel in Calle de la Victoria occupied by the Cofradîa of the same name. Neither of these two societies appear to have been of particular significance during the XIX century. Their importance in Malaga’s Holy Week celebrations would not seem to have started until 1920, when a group of society members were responsible for the fusion of the two societies to form a single Cofradîa under the present-day name.

The Cofradia’s first procession was in 1921, and an indication of its enormous impact on Easter Wednesday can be seen in its endorsement in 1925 by King Alfonso XIII, who became an Honorary Brother, thus conferring it “royal” status. The events of 1931 brought terrible consequences for the society’s patrimony. However, the image of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores remained unscathed by the attacks on religious statues that took place during this period, having been hidden in the cathedral by a number of the society’s members. Shortly after, in 1934, it being worshipped at the church of Sagrado Corazón, in Calle Compañîa, enjoying a processional return to the church of San Pedro in 1935. However, this was to be a short-lived stay, as the church was destroyed in 1936, though once again the statue was rescued from the carnage, being transferred on this occasion to the church of Los Santos Mártires, and later from here to the Iglesia del Carmen, closer to its home at San Pedro, while the latter was being rebuilt.