His sacrifice. A statue scene from I Misteri, The Misteries, celebrated for centuries in Trapani, Sicily.
Tag: holy week
The Mysteries: Preparing Jesus
From Trapani’s I Misteri procession… This statue scene: the Roman soldiers prepare Jesus for the crucifixion.
The Brotherhood of i Misteri
“Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!” This sound is heard repeatedly throughout the 24-hours of I Misteri, the procession in Trapani, Sicily on Good Friday known as The Mysteries, or what we call The Stations of the Cross. The sharp clapping sound that cuts through the crowd noise and marching bands, is made with a wooden…
Holy Week in Sicily
This week is Holy Week or “La settimana santa.” In Sicily, towns celebrate various sacred rites each day, the height of which are practiced on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The region’s Spanish cultural roots are most apparent through these traditions. Renowned is the Processione dei Misteri, or Procession of the Mysteries in Trapani. On…
Holy Week Preview
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…
Here Comes the Cassata
There is much debate about the origins of cassata cake, but one thing is clear: it is as elaborate as the Baroque architecture one finds throughout Sicily–and it is as decadent. So much so, that until the mid-20th century, cassata was only eaten by the masses on Easter Sunday. Cassata is made up of sponge…
A “Pietà” in Palermo
The baroque Chiesa di Sant’Anna la Misericordia (Church of St. Anne the Merciful) in Palermo was consecrated in 1639. Before Santa Rosalia became Palermo’s patron saint, Saint Anne was one of the four co-patrons of the city. The facade of church, shown here, has been restored several times due to damage by earthquakes over the…