The "Ciezano style" of the parades, the 98 original musical compositions, and its rich and varied sculptural heritage are among the aspects supporting the request.
The Murcia Region Tourism Institute has supervised and advised the Board of Passion Brotherhoods of Cieza in the procedure.
The Ministry of the Presidency, Tourism, Culture, Youth, Sports and Spokesperson, through the Institute of Tourism of the Region of Murcia (ITREM), has issued a favorable report for Holy Week in Cieza to obtain the Declaration of International Tourist Interest.
The councilor, Marcos Ortuño, who expressed his gratitude for the work of the Junta de Hermandades Pasionarias de Cieza and all its brotherhoods, urged the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism to approve this request "quickly so that we can enjoy this newly awarded distinction this year in processions that stand out for their marked devotion, personality, and uniqueness."
Cieza's Holy Week, which has been declared a National Tourist Interest since 2011, has met all the required criteria in preparing its application, for which it has consistently received the supervision and advice of the Itrem (National Institute of Tourism).
Among the reasons for this request are "the intrinsically Ciezan aspects that underpin its originality," the councilor noted, including the style of marching, known as the 'Ciezano step,' and the music, with 98 original compositions detailed in a table, some of which are of renowned national prestige and which constitute, in themselves, a first-rate intangible heritage.
Furthermore, it boasts a rich and varied sculptural heritage. Although Cieza lost a large part of its religious imagery during the early days of the Civil War, this provided an opportunity to turn necessity into a virtue. Today, it boasts forty-three pasos (stages) that represent an anthology of the finest contemporary imagery, with works by the greatest sculptors of the last hundred years, such as José Capuz, José Planes, and Juan González Moreno, among others.
The processions are also notable for being among the few that respect the chronological order established by the Bible to narrate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Currently, the region has four Holy Weeks of International Tourist Interest, specifically in Cartagena, Lorca, Murcia, and Jumilla, to which the Night of the Drums of Mula was added in 2022.
Source: CARM.
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