TH
# 57 • APRIL 5 , 2015
# 57 •APRIL 5
TH
2015
Moving to Italy’s central-north, Easter fun inclu- Virgin and her Resurrected Son.
des the game Punta e cul in Urbania (Pesaro)
featuring the egg as protagonist and revolving
around ancient peasant traditions. The Egg
Sagra and Palio animate Tredozio (Province of
Forlì) with games, battles, and parade floats.
In Florence, rather, the dove is the protagonist
of the famous Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of
the Cart); the Scoppio dates back to the time
of the First Crusade. The cart is led by white
steers from Piazzale del Prato to the Duomo,
and a dove (actually a species of pigeon in this
case) lights the fireworks contained in the cart.
Legend has it that if the explosion goes off without a hi tch, the year ahead will be a good one
for Florence!
In the heel of Italy’s boot, Apulia the Holy Week
as celebrated in Ruvo di Puglia (Bari) is rich in
charm, with evocative parades and processions
that go as far back as c. 1600. Meanwhile, in the
toe, Calabria, folk traditions predominate, like
those in Civita and Frascineto, where the Vallje, or Arbresh folk dances and songs fill the air.
The arbëreshë songs, in Albanian dialect, were
first composed in the 1800s. They are also sung
during the Good Friday procession in Spezzano Albanese (Cosenza).
Then, the Holy Week rites of Sardinia are rather
suggestive, and among the most peculiar are
the Scrocifissione in Oliena (Nuoro), in which
men and women search for the Resurrected
Further south, in Sulmona (Abruzzo), the rite of Christ, stopping at all the area churches every
Medieval origin, “Madonna che scappa” (lit. the day until Saturday, when a statue of Christ is
fleeing Madonna) is a local favorite celebrated found.
between the Roman aqueduct and Monte Marrone (in the Maiella National Park). It is a merry
and festive procession that runs through the city
streets, accompanied by the pealing of church
bells and the colors and lights of fireworks.
Of course, Sicily also participates in Easter holiday rites deriving from its own local and longstanding customs and traditions. Pilgrimages
and processions of people and animals in mask
make their way through the city streets. Much
of the population takes part in the parades and
holy representations. Visitors should witness
the rites in existence since the Spanish domination over Enna, as well as La Real Maestranza
procession in Caltanissetta, the Procession of
the Mysteries in Trapani, and the celebrations in
Prizzi and Adrano, in which the masks of Death
and Demons make their appearances.
Holy Week celebrations are also quite characteristic (and of ancient origin) in the islands of
Naples Bay, Procida and Ischia. Particularly, on
Ischia the Run of the Angel in Forio dates back
to 1600, and reenacts the meeting between the
For all those that plan to visit Rome during Easter Week, the Via Crucis procession and Easter
Sunday Holy Mass – in the magnificent setting
of St. Peter’s Square – are musts.
Images: italia.it
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