El Amor (Love).

Royal Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of Love, Our Father Jesus of Silence in Herod’s Contempt and Holy Mary of Incarnation.

HISTORY.
Hermandad del Amor (Brotherhood of Love) was founded in 1955 in the Parish of Jesús Divino Obrerowith the support from Bishop Brother Albino. It held its first station of penance on Palm Sunday 1957, as the one expected for 1956 was cancelled due to the rain. In 1981 the image of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Our Lady of Incarnation) was blessed and it became one of the main images in the brotherhood the following year, together with Cristo del Amor (Christ of Love). In 1984 the group of costaleras (women carriers) was established, which is the first in Andalusia. In 1991, the image of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Silencio (Our Father Jesus of Silence) also became a main image of the brotherhood, which had previously belonged to a failed brotherhood from Cádiz and which arrived in the neighbourhood of Cerrothanks to Brother Ricardo of Córdoba, artistic director of the brotherhood.

TEMPLE.
Parish of Jesús Divino Obrero. Built in the middle of last century, it is located in the central part of the neighbourhood of Campo de la Verdadand at the beginning of the area known as El Cerro.

THE IMAGES.
Santísimo Cristo del Amor (Holy Christ of Love) – [PHOTO #1; #2]
Santísimo Cristo del Amor (Holy Christ of Love) is an anonymous work from the 16th century, restored by Luis Álvarez Duarte around 1984. It is slightly smaller than real size and it represents Christ on the Cross. The anatomy is very correct and his head is leaning on the right. We can highlight the cloth covering him, a bit small, tied on the left, something typical of Renaissance crucified images. The current Cross was made by Guzmán Bejarano (1991), tree-like, with titulumand gilded corners.
The sculpture belonged to the brotherhood of the Holy Crucifix in the 16th century, located in the Chapel of San José, in the neighbourhood of Magdalena.
Their first station of penance was in 1956 accompanied by Virgen de los Dolores(Virgin of Pains) and Saint John, forming a calvary. Until recently, it went in procession on its own, but these images have lately accompanied Cristo del Amor (Christ of Love) in the processional pace.

Nuestro Padre Jesús del Silencio en el desprecio de Herodes (Our Father Jesus of Silence in Herod’s Contempt) – [PHOTO #1; #2]
Nuestro Padre Jesús del Silencio (Our Father Jesus of Silence) was made by religious sculptor from Cádiz Luis Ortega Bru in 1982, shortly before his death. It is an image to be dressed, standing, with his hands tied, and his head slightly turned right. He is looking down, in a submissive attitude. Nowadays, the image of the Lord is wearing a white tunic with gilded embroidery.
In the pace of mystery, behind the Lord, there are other images, such as Herod himself or an executioner, designed by Ortega Bru and sculpted by Manuel Téllez.

María Santísima de la Encarnación (Holy Mary of Incarnation) – [PHOTO #1; #2]
The image of María Santísima de la Encarnación (Holy Mary of Incarnation) was made around 1980 by religious sculptor from Seville Luis Álvarez Duarte, who was a disciple of Francisco Buiza, author of works like Virgen de la Merced (Virgin of Mercy) or Cristo de la Coronación de Espinas (Christ of the Crowning with Thorns) of Córdoba.
Álvarez Duarte sculpted a young Virgin, looking down, with eyes full of tears, almost submissive before her son’s future. Her brow is barely curved, with straight nose and parted lips.

NAZARENE HABIT.
Cream-coloured tunic and scapular, black face-coverer and cape and black leather belt.

IMPORTANT INSIGNIAS.
 Silver Guiding Cross with crest of the brotherhood on one face and the coat of arms of Brother Albino on the other, both embossed and gilded; from the Workshop Vda. de González Herrera.
 Banner with the heraldic crest of Bishop Brother Albino.
 Maroon velvet Virgin banner designed by Brother Ricardo of Córdobaand embroidered in the workshops of Joaquín Ojeda in Écija.