Passion play
The earliest Passion plays of France and Flanders are thought to have their source in a nondramatic narrative poem of the 13th century, the Passion des jongleurs. These plays became highly elaborated in the course of their development, culminating in performances (Mons, 1501; Valenciennes, 1547) lasting more than a week. Confraternities were founded for performance of Passion plays, the most famous being the Confrérie de la Passion (1402). Passion plays were also performed in Spain, Italy, and elsewhere, with local variations.