Holy Week in Salamanca (Semana Santa de Salamanca) is the most important religious event of Salamanca, Spain. It is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter (Holy Week among Christians). During Holy Week, 18 fraternities feature 24 processions of pasos, floats of realistic wooden sculptures narrating scenes of the events of the Passion of Christ, or images of the Virgin Mary showing grief. Some of the sculptures are several centuries old and were created by important Spanish artists such as Luis Salvador Carmona, Alejandro Carnicero or Mariano Benlliure. Hundreds of penitents or cofrades take part on the parades, either carrying the pasos or walking the old streets of the city with crosses, flags or candles. Thousands of people, locals and visitors attend the events.