The town has a strong tradition of religious rites and ceremonies that date from the Spanish Domination of the 15th-17th centuries. These rites are demonstrated during mystic Holy Week celebrations.
On Good Friday at 5:00 p.m., the Society of the Passion of Christ leaves their parish church and is joined by all the other Confraternities on Via Roma. They make their way to Chiesa dell’Addorlarato. The statue of ”Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows” is carried to to the Cathedral where the Urn of the Dead Christ awaits her. At 7:00 p.m., thousands march in a solemn and silent torch-lit procession behind men dressed in white hooded costumes. These costumes represent medieval fraternities of artisans and artists (Confraternities). Today there are 15 of the original 34 Confraternities still in existence. They take turns carrying marble statues of a deceased Christ and “Our Lady of Sorrows.” The group is accompanied by 24 symbols of Christ’s martrydom including the cross containing a reliquary of the “Crown of Thorns“ and tools of flagellation. Watch this video of Easter Rituals in Enna http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ3kX-uGRec&feature=related.
Holy Week celebrations begin on Palm Sunday with the Procession of the Confraternities, the L’Ura from their individual churches to the Duomo in solemn Eucharistic adoration. The Baroque Duomo was founded by Eleonora, the wife of the 13th century Swabian King Frederick II. The Cathedral has a spacious 16th century interior. The Confraternities are accompanied by the town band on their way to the Cathedral.
On Easter Sunday the ritual involves “A Paci” when the statues of the Resurrected Christ and Mary are reunited in the Cathedral Square under a joyous celebration of ringing bells.
Some of the other towns in Sicily where you can witness elaborate Holy Week (Settimana Santa) and Easter (Pasqua) rituals include:
Modica http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ajKBBwQBtg&feature=related
Caltanissetta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYUq5jXAB-8&feature=related
Corleone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gMksfWbHhU
Vizzini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SO-KekZSTY
and Petralia Sottana U “Ncuontru http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ePVTL00S3U.
To learn more about Sicily go to www.vino-con-vista.com.
Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites.
Related articles
Filed under: Easter in Enna Sicily, Easter in Rome, Holy Week in Rome, Italian Architecture, Italy Travel Guides, Pasqua in Sicily, Sicilian Baroque, Sicily, Sicily Architecture, Sicily Art, Sicily History, Sicily Travel Guides, Travel and Tourism, UNESCO, UNESCO WOrld Heritage Sites in SIcily, vino con vista, Volcano, World Heritage Sites Tagged: Buona Pasqua in Sicily, Crown of Thorns, Easter, Easter in Corleone Sicily, Easter in Enna Sicily, Easter in Italy, Easter in Sicily, Easter Sunday, Enna, Good Friday in Enna, Good Friday in Sicily, History, Mount Etna, Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday in Italy, Palm Sunday in Sicily, Pasqua in Modica Sicily, Pasqua in Petralia Sottana, Pasqua in Vizzini, Ressurection of Jesus Christ, Settimana Santa in Sicily, Sicily, The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, What is Palm Sunday, What is the highest town in Italy
