Catholic Customs
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Damas de Mantilla: The Elegant Women
of Spain’s Holy Week
During Holy Week in Spain, elegant ladies in solemn mourning dress accompany the processions in the cities. They are called the "Damas de Mantilla" or the "Manolas," and they observe this centuries long tradition to mourn the death of Our Lord and
express devotion to Our Lady in her sorrows during Holy Week.
The mantilla, a veil now worn by Catholic ladies world over for liturgical functions, was popularized by the Spanish nobility since the 17th century, but particularly so by Queen Isabella II in the 19th century.
The women, following the strict protocol of dress and behavior proper to nobles, contribute to the mournful and solemn atmosphere of Holy Week by wearing a peineta (a tall comb, traditionally made of tortoise shell), and atop it a long intricate lace veil that can sometimes reach down to the calves.
The women are required to wear modest dresses that cover their knees and arms, though laxity in this area has unfortunately increased with the progressivist reforms of Vatican II. Each lady carries a Rosary and a fan, and also wears the symbols of her confraternity. This intricate outfit is worn on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The Damas de Mantilla belong to confraternities (Cofradías) or sisterhoods (Hermandades), and accompany the processions of their respective cofradía or hermandad. In 1769, over 25,000 confraternities were recorded in Spain. Currently there are nearly 600 that are canonically recognized in Seville alone.
Since 2019, a private municipal initiative to revive the mantilla called "Si Mantilla" employs young models to don the mantilla in public before Holy Week, in an effort to encourage the young ladies of Spain to revive and preserve this Holy Week tradition.
For more on the Spanish ladies wearing their mantillas
during Holy Week, click here, here, here, here, here & here
Posted December 18, 2021
The mantilla, a veil now worn by Catholic ladies world over for liturgical functions, was popularized by the Spanish nobility since the 17th century, but particularly so by Queen Isabella II in the 19th century.
The women, following the strict protocol of dress and behavior proper to nobles, contribute to the mournful and solemn atmosphere of Holy Week by wearing a peineta (a tall comb, traditionally made of tortoise shell), and atop it a long intricate lace veil that can sometimes reach down to the calves.
The women are required to wear modest dresses that cover their knees and arms, though laxity in this area has unfortunately increased with the progressivist reforms of Vatican II. Each lady carries a Rosary and a fan, and also wears the symbols of her confraternity. This intricate outfit is worn on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The Damas de Mantilla belong to confraternities (Cofradías) or sisterhoods (Hermandades), and accompany the processions of their respective cofradía or hermandad. In 1769, over 25,000 confraternities were recorded in Spain. Currently there are nearly 600 that are canonically recognized in Seville alone.
Since 2019, a private municipal initiative to revive the mantilla called "Si Mantilla" employs young models to don the mantilla in public before Holy Week, in an effort to encourage the young ladies of Spain to revive and preserve this Holy Week tradition.
For more on the Spanish ladies wearing their mantillas
during Holy Week, click here, here, here, here, here & here
Posted December 18, 2021
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