Easter week in Samper de Calanda

Samper de Calanda, in the province of Teruel, is one of the nine villages that make up the Route of the Tambor and the Bombo (drums).

During the Easter week celebrations, the sound of drums can be heard in every corner of these villages in the south of the Aragón Region. The most long-awaited moment of the celebration in Samper de Calanda is the “rompida de la hora” (breaking of the hour), at midnight of Maundy Thursday/Good Friday. Hundreds of these drums come together in the village hall square and, at midnight, they begin to beat in unison, filling the night with an incredible sound. These instruments continue to play non-stop until Saturday afternoon. Before then, on Good Friday, the “Abajamiento” is held, commemorating the moment when Christ was brought down from the cross. This sacred representation signals the start of the Santo Entierro procession.