scary Good Friday procession

We got caught up in this cross between a KKK parade and a wizarding convention on the way back from performing Handel's Messiah in Cuenca (a few hours out of Madrid) on Good Friday.
All day I had been wondering what the hell all these people were doing wandering around with these long robes and pointy hats hanging down their backs. Even babies had little mini- versions.
It's quite creepy actually. The whole town is partying with that great Spanish fiesta feel of food wine and general bacchanalia... then suddenly thousands of people go silent FOR ABOUT AN HOUR whilst all these hooded men slowly march past banging sticks on the ground and carrying the weirdest iconic floats you have ever seen.
One had skulls on it, artistically scattered around the bottom of a crucifix. Maybe the guys under those hoods were secret death metal fans?
Anyway, we actually couldn't move once we hit the street where the procession was going on, and every time we tried to subtley whisper to each other (I was stuck there with about 5 of my fellow musos), "um, what the f*** is going on?", we'd get shushed by pretty much everyone around us.
I'm sure the term 'stupid tourist' was bandied around in Spanish a few times.
Apparently some of the more devout amongst these hood wearing folks actually crawl up the steep hill (and I climbed it at 1am that night in a desperate search for post-concert food, so I can tell ya it ain't a picnic), on their knees across the cobblestones in an act of devotion.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Religion is weird.