Paso (float)

A Paso (Spanish: "Episode of the Passion of Christ") is an elaborate float made for religious processions. They are carried by porters on staves, like a litter or sedan chair, and are usually followed or escorted by a band. Some have long skirts that cover the bearers entirely, giving the impression that the statue is floating on its own power.

For other, see Paso (disambiguation).
A large Paso in Astorga, Spain

The porters are called costaleros, cargadores or portadores and their leader is called a capataz ("Foreman" or "Head Man"). The capataz sets the chicotá, the period of time between a paso being lifted and set down again; the costaleros cannot pick up or set down the paso except by his leave. This is signalled by the llamador ("crier"), a knocker on the front of the float. During Semana Santa ("Holy Week", the week preceding Easter Sunday) the custom is to make pasos adorned with large wooden statues of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints and biblical personalities from the Passion.

In Italy smaller carried floats are known as macchine a spalla.[1]

References
  1. Soundscape and the Built Environment Jian Kang, Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp - 2018 - 1482226324 Page 230 ... the intangible cultural heritage has been updated with the inclusion of four Italian folk festivals that belong to the network of “celebration of big shoulder-borne processional structures” (Le Feste delle grandi macchine a spalla) (Nardi, 2013).
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