Do you recall, dear chums, when I mentioned the rivalry in bygone years between the Saint Mary’s and Saint Peter’s Churches? Well then, now we have arrived at the latter, this marvel with major historical and architectural relevance that rises upwards with dignity in our beloved Arcos. Saint Peter’s Church, whose imposing presence stores within its walls the veneration and art of our fore-fathers. Its tower, built in the year of grace 1727, while still a recent addition, it comes to the fore as a symbol of our town’s strength. It was built by the renowned Manuel Gómez, with the aid of the master stonemasons Fernando Porrúa and Antonio Fernández, both Arcos residents. These were entrusted with the mission of extracting the building blocks needed to shape the tower’s front and foundations from quarries in nearby Espera. Following the aftershocks of the Lisbon earthquake, the architect Pedro de Silva, devised the body of the bell that now crowns the church in 1759.

This church does not merely stand proudly as a monument, but moreover, it acts as a safe haven for de-votion to faith and spirituality. Each Good Friday, it dons its most solemn attire and at sunset, the towns-people create a blanket of silence behind the dignified procession of the Holy Burial, featuring the figures of the Virgin of Solitude and Christ of Forgiveness. The passage of the imagery weaves its way through the town’s most beautiful streets, these brimming with the essence of past generations.

The scent of wax from the candles intermingles with the incense floating in the air, with every step the procession takes, the murmur of the prayers becomes louder, as it they were a hymn of praise. The shadows of the houses, in the same way as we ourselves do, are duly moved by the grandeur of the tra-dition on view, and it is this very moment when the entire town seems to come to a halt, allowing the soul to drink in the event’s stillness and reverence.
And now, my noble companions, without needing to take another single step, we simply need to turn slightly to discover what lays behind us, a jewel in our history, the Mayorazgo Palace, which rises nobly before our eyes.