Semanasanteros is a long-term photographic project by Mathias Maumont Perafan, launched in 2019 after several years of reflection on the idea of documenting Semana Santa in Popayán, a town located in Colombia’s Cauca region. For over 450 years, the people of Popayán — known as Patojos — have celebrated Catholic Holy Week by parading images of the Passion of Christ through solemn and carefully choreographed processions.

The semanasanteros — those who take part in Semana Santa — are deeply involved in every aspect of the tradition. For most Patojos, Holy Week is the most important event of the year. As if summoned by the bells of the many churches in the Ciudad Blanca, Patojos from across Colombia — and even those living abroad — return to Popayán every year. Semana Santa is not only a religious observance; it is a fundamental expression of collective identity.

The way Popayán celebrates Semana Santa has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This acknowledgment has brought renewed attention to a city that once held national prominence, but which has faced decades of social, economic, and cultural challenges. The complex context of Popayán — marked by Colombia’s armed conflict, a devastating earthquake in 1983, and a shift in political power — has reshaped the city over the last forty years. Amid this backdrop, Semana Santa has remained a powerful cultural anchor, a symbol of pride and continuity for many.

Although widely known across Colombia, much of Semana Santa’s inner workings remain hidden from the public. The celebration temporarily reshapes the city’s social hierarchy, placing symbolic and organizational authority in the hands of Síndicos and Regidores — key figures responsible for making the event possible.

With Semanasanteros, Maumont Perafan documents not only the famed processions — the most visible expression of the tradition — but also the intimate, behind-the-scenes world that unfolds inside Popayán’s colonial homes: the preparations of cargueros, sahumadoras, and regidores; the construction and dismantling of the ornate pasos, or floats, followed by thousands; the selection process that determines who among the many hopeful men will carry the sacred images.

Ultimately, this project offers a portrait of a parallel society that emerges only during Holy Week — one that mirrors the political, cultural, economic, and social dynamics of Popayán and its surrounding region.

San Francisco is one of the most important churches in Popayán. Each evening during Holy Week, processions depart from a different church.
Colombia, 2019.
Guillermo Vallejo shows his still-painful shoulder, sore from the physical effort of the previous day. For the carriers, it’s a mark of pride—earned after years of bearing weight during Holy Week.
Popayán, Colombia, 2019.
On Monday morning, inside the Santo Domingo Church, members of the community taking part in Holy Week—known as semanasanteros—assemble the floats that will form the Good Friday procession. This craftsmanship is passed down exclusively through oral tradition.
Popayán, Colombia, 2019.
Young women wait to be dressed as sahumadoras just hours before the start of the Holy Monday procession. The sahumadora is an emblematic figure in the processions of Popayán—she carries the incense and walks ahead of the floats depicting Christ or the Virgin. She wears the traditional attire of the ñapanga, a symbol of the women of the people.
Popayán, Colombia, 2019.
Tension is rising. Although the morning’s laughter hasn’t entirely faded, the atmosphere grows heavier, and the gravity of the challenge ahead begins to settle in.
Holy Tuesday. Felipe Andrade is one of the front-line carriers of the “Insignes” float. Chosen among the eight bearers, he strikes his beam to signal the others to begin. The carriers must work in unison to maintain grace while bearing the weight. To his left, Guillermo Vallejo holds his alcayata—a kind of forked support used to relieve the shoulder when the float is at rest. It is a symbol of Holy Week in Popayán. The act of carrying is known as carguío.
Popayán, Colombia, 2019.
The procession comes to an end—not only for the cargueros, but also for all those who proudly accompanied them throughout the evening.
Sebastián Agudelo sits down for the first time since the start of the Holy Tuesday procession. The physical effort required of the carriers is intense. Yet some of them will continue into the night, celebrating well into the early hours.
Popayán, Colombia, 2019.