Why will Malaga’s famous Calle Larios shopping street be covered with a massive decorative ‘carpet’ of salt in the coming weeks? | Sur in English

Malaga city’s famous Calle Larios will be coated in salt on Saturday 13 July for the extraordinary procession of the Virgin of Peace. The Brotherhood of the Holy Supper is in its final preparations as it prepares for the special day, which marks the centenary of its foundation.

On the planned route between the Cofradía del Rocío, where the procession will depart with the effigy of Luis Álvarez Duarte on its Easter throne, and the headquarters of the brotherhood, in Calle Compañía, there will be several points of interest. Some streets will be decorated, including Calle Larios, where a large carpet of salt will be laid. This will cover the stretch between Calle Strachan and Plaza de la Constitución.

On the coating of white salt will be different motifs, made with salt dyed in different colours, with many of them red, which represents the blood of Christ. Some will also be blue to represent the Virgin, as well as ochre and gold.

The making of the salt carpet will be an offering by the Brotherhood of the Holy Supper, together with the young brotherhoods of Malaga, to the Virgin of Peace, “in prayer for the end of wars in the world and in solidarity and support for the children and young people who are suffering”, said the elder brother of the Holy Thursday brotherhood, Rafael López Taza. “The volunteers who will work on the carpet will be the boys and girls who form part of the youth groups of the different brotherhoods of Malaga. All of them, working together, will contribute their grain of salt for this cause,” he added.

The design of the ‘carpet’, inspired by Marian ornamental motifs, is the work of David Calleja, fourth deputy mayor and councillor of El Puerto de Santa María town hall. He is in charge of drawing the work that is laid out each year in this town in Cádiz to honour its patron saint (Virgen de los Milagros).

“In an act of generosity, the company Chalupa, from El Puerto de Santa María, will donate salt from Salinas Santa María. Some 6,000 kilos of salt will be used to make the carpet,” said López Taza, who pointed out the work of Vicente Rodríguez, a creative and multi-faceted artist specialising in decorations and stage design, as well as the head of the festivities service, José Luis Sara, both from El Puerto de Santa María.

Emergency vehicle access

Work on the salt carpet on Calle Larios will start on Saturday 13 July at 8am and will last until approximately 12.30pm. The carpet will be 115 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, allowing emergency vehicles and access to the surrounding streets. A route will be established around the carpet. “This carpet of salt has never before been seen in Calle Larios or in any other street of our city with these dimensions,” López Taza added.

The passage of the procession through this area, about 12.15am on Sunday 14 July, will be very special, as the throne of the Virgin will be rocked and will not descend from the start of the carpet until the end.

López Taza is appealing for help to carry out the salt project. “We need all the help we can get and, of course, the help of Malaga city council is essential. For now, we have the support of the department of festivities and of district council number 1, in terms of coordination and facilitation of the work. And we also have, for now, the collaboration of the hotel AC Malaga Palacio,” he said.

Transfer of the Virgin

Although the procession of the Virgin of Peace will be held on Saturday 13 July, the brotherhood has made public the itinerary for the transfer of the Virgin from the parish church of Santo Domingo to La Victoria, where it will be on display until Thursday 11 July, the day set aside for the brothers to take their patron saint, at 9pm, to the brotherhood house of the Cofradía del Rocío. From here, in the Plaza Párroco Ruiz Forest, the procession will start on Saturday evening at 7pm.

A week earlier, on Sunday 7 July, the processional transfer of the Virgin will take place. After entering the Plaza Fray Alonso de Santo Tomás, in the heart of the Perchel neighbourhood, the procession will continue along Pasillo de Santo Domingo, Pasillo de Guimbarda, Puente de la Aurora, Avenida de la Rosaleda, Postigo de Arance, Carretería (10am), Álamos, Cárcer, Plaza Jerónimo Cuervo (11am), Ramos Marín, Pasaje del Escultor Pérez Hidalgo, Cobertizo del Conde, Lagunillas (11am), Plaza de la Victoria (11.30am), Victoria (12pm), Compás de la Victoria, San Patricio, Fernando el Católico, Plazuela del Cristo del Amor and the Sanctuary of La Victoria (12.45pm).