This week leading up to Easter Sunday is Holy Week or “La settimana santa.” In Sicily, many, many towns celebrate various sacred rites each day of the week, the height of which are practiced on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Such practices date back centuries and are rooted in deep tradition. For example, in Enna on Holy Thursday, the different confraternities of the town outfit their individual churches in recognition of the death of Jesus Christ and pilgrims visit an odd number of churches to see the various Easter sepulchers. On Good Friday (or venerdì santo), in Caltanisetta, they celebrate their “Lord of the City” with a solemn procession featuring a venerated medieval, black crucifix. Renowned is I Misteri procession in Trapani (Where I’ll be on Friday!). During I Misteri, or The Mysteries, devotees crowd the streets to watch the annual procession of the various statue groups that represent the passion and death of Christ. Bands play, women cry… Stay tuned here for live blogging on Friday! This image is from the interior of Palermo’s beautiful San Cataldo Church.
