The treasured image of Jesús Nazareno arrives in heart of Xàbia

The image will remain in the heart of the historic centre for 52 days, the perpetual mayor of the town, until returning on May 3rd.

Monday 13th March 2023
Mike Smith

On a unseasonally warm Sunday evening, as is tradition on the Third Sunday in Lent, the treasured image of Jesús Nazareno was carried aloft on strong shoulders from the iconic blue-domed chapel of Calvario, down the twisting ‘Vía Crucis’, through the grand tosca gate and into the village to the fortress-church of San Bartolomé, guided in a mounting gloom by the candles carried by the faithful.

The image, the perpetual mayor of Xàbia, will sit in the heart of the historic centre for 52 days, over the Easter period and throughout the celebrations held in its honour at the end of the April and beginning of May before being carried back up to its chapel – La Subida – on May 3rd. Nine consecutive days of prayer will be held from today until Tuesday 21st March.

As the image entered the church, a precise and awkward manoeuvre to guide a statue to tall through a door too short, the packed congregation sang the traditional hymn – “honor en los Javieneses, su joya más querida” – not only in immense pride in their image, but also in immense pride of being from Jávea. The official booklet says clearly that “the love for Jávea and for the Jesús Nazareno is the same, it is a love of a history, a tradition and an identity. Jávea is not only her streets, her houses and her beaches. Jávea is its history, its people and its memories.”

DISCOVER MORE: Fiesta JESÚS NAZARENO