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Episode of the Passion of Christ. Easter. Istán. Unique Festival

Diputación de Málaga
0269. El Paso de Istán

Episode of the Passion of Christ. Easter. Istán. Unique Festival

This festival has been declared to be of Tourist Interest by the Provincial Council of Málaga.

Please check with the local Town Hall or Municipal Tourism Office for the festival date before planning any sightseeing activities.

Istán village enjoys an excellent location in Serranía de Ronda, as well as a welcoming town centre, among other perks.

There is no doubt that its enclave in the Sierra de las Nieves range environment is particularly remarkable—part of it is even included in the area declared a Biosphere Reserve. It is located in a privileged setting known for its outstanding environmental and landscape value and dominated by the Sierra Real range to the north competing with the high-altitude peaks of Lastonar and La Zarina, which are very close to the coast.

Another hallmark is Holy Week, one of the traditions characterising this beautiful spot in the western Costa del Sol region.

In Istán, this Week is defined by the Christian tradition of representing the Passion and Death of Jesus, which conducts two different, distinctive ceremonies: processions through the village's narrow streets, and El Paso (the re-enactment of the Passion of Christ).

El Paso is deeply rooted in the municipality, with its origins dating back to the 17th century. Despite being interrupted during the years before the Spanish Civil War, it never went extinct from the memory of the Panochos (Istán people) who, in 1980, brought it back.

The representation in the town square now includes live performances of Old and New Testament passages culminating in the Crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday and then his Resurrection on Saturday night. This representation is a highly respected and well-known tradition carried out with the collaboration of the whole village, to the extent that there are more than a hundred characters every year.
On Sunday the Resurrection procession takes place, followed by the tradition of eating hornazos in the countryside. These are made with unleavened bread and a boiled egg in the middle.

It is a unique, singular event, attended by numerous tourists and visitors looking for a Holy Week with its own identity.

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Discover more about the province of Malaga

Discover more about the province of Malaga