Easter in Sicily – I misteri
In Sicily, the Easter is celebrated with a certain aura of mysticism and paganism, essential elements of a folklore that is now gone in most Western world. Every town and village becomes the stage of solemn ceremonies.
The most famous procession is in Trapani. The Procession of the Mysteries is a day-long passion procession featuring twenty floats of lifelike wood, canvas and glue sculptures of individual scenes of the events of the Passion and Death of Christ, a passion play at the center and the culmination of the Holy Week. “I Misteri” (the Mysteries) are 20 artistic representations of the Passion and Death of Christ: 18 statue groups, as well as two simulacrums of Mary, who weeps over the body of Christ.
The Mysteries as artistic representation was granted by the Brotherhood of St. Michael the Archangel, which instituted the rite in the late 16th century, to the members of the local guilds called “maestranze” (working categories such as grocers, fishermen, bakers, butchers, etc.) in exchange of the promise to carry them during the passion procession every Good Friday. Each working category is responsible for a specific statue of the “misteri” and often the statue is called with the name of the “maestranza” itself. The statues are carried on the shoulders of ten men (the “massari”) that move to the music of the band leading the procession, with a particular step called the “annaccata”.
The whole citizenry, all the authorities and a shocking number of visitors from all over Italy and beyond, attend to this moving celebration. The statues, all covered in flowers and dressed with prestigious clothes, are also provided with an effective and sensational lighting system, which makes the parade even more touching. Night and dawn are the most enchanting moments of this amazing celebration: the shadows of the 20 works of art stand out on the walls of ancient palaces. At dawn, the bands start playing again.
These photos were taken in the same day of Good Friday, in 2011 (Palermo) and 2015 (Trapani)
Easter in Sicily – I misteri
In Sicily, the Easter is celebrated with a certain aura of mysticism and paganism, essential elements of a folklore that is now gone in most Western world. Every town and village becomes the stage of solemn ceremonies.
The most famous procession is in Trapani. The Procession of the Mysteries is a day-long passion procession featuring twenty floats of lifelike wood, canvas and glue sculptures of individual scenes of the events of the Passion and Death of Christ, a passion play at the center and the culmination of the Holy Week. “I Misteri” (the Mysteries) are 20 artistic representations of the Passion and Death of Christ: 18 statue groups, as well as two simulacrums of Mary, who weeps over the body of Christ.
The Mysteries as artistic representation was granted by the Brotherhood of St. Michael the Archangel, which instituted the rite in the late 16th century, to the members of the local guilds called “maestranze” (working categories such as grocers, fishermen, bakers, butchers, etc.) in exchange of the promise to carry them during the passion procession every Good Friday. Each working category is responsible for a specific statue of the “misteri” and often the statue is called with the name of the “maestranza” itself. The statues are carried on the shoulders of ten men (the “massari”) that move to the music of the band leading the procession, with a particular step called the “annaccata”.
The whole citizenry, all the authorities and a shocking number of visitors from all over Italy and beyond, attend to this moving celebration. The statues, all covered in flowers and dressed with prestigious clothes, are also provided with an effective and sensational lighting system, which makes the parade even more touching. Night and dawn are the most enchanting moments of this amazing celebration: the shadows of the 20 works of art stand out on the walls of ancient palaces. At dawn, the bands start playing again.
These photos were taken in the same day of Good Friday, in 2011 (Palermo) and 2015 (Trapani)
