Good Friday Procession

As I promised below in my "Preparations for Easter" post. I will talk about the Italian traditions that we have for Easter. This year, like every year, we bundled up and left the house after dinner at around 9.30. We walked down the candle lit main street of the historic center of town and waited in the main square in front of the Cathedral for the Good Friday Procession. 

Our town, like many others in Italy, puts on a living Nativity at Christmas and a Good Friday Procession at Easter. Local residents are dressed in typical clothes of the time to commemorate the birth and death of Jesus. It is a very heart felt event for the locals and as my husband noted as my camera batteries died "sono sempre quelli, le stesse persone che fanno i soliti personaggi. Se fai la foto quest'anno sara' uguale anno prossimo" It's always the same people playing the same roles every year. If you take a picture this year, it will look the exact same as the one the following year. This is absolutely true. It is something that starts at a young age. Some of my daughter's older classmates participated and as my mother in law said, it is something that the parents talk about from the time the children are young so it is ingrained in them to participate. It is so important that about two weeks before Easter you can find signs around town announcing times to come and try on and reserve costumes for the event. Something also very interesting is that the costumes are all made by the local woman who owns the award winning ice cream shop.

Before the long procession in the main part of Bagnoregio, there is a mass in Civita di Bagnoregio where Jesus is removed from the Crucifix and laid on a red velvet bed. He is then transported by four local "Jesuits" to the procession, followed by the local priest, and local parishioners carrying large lanters and other locals praying and singing for more than a mile walk each way with an steep uphill climb at both ends. He is the final part of the procession representing Jesus after the crucifixion on his way to the tomb. The wooden Crucifix is from the 15th century Donatello school and is very precious to the Civitonici (the local population, my husband being one of them). One of the incredible things about this crucifix is the fact that the wooden figure of Jesus can be removed and his arms placed at his side.

After the procession has ended in Bagnoregio Jesus is brought back to Civita and welcomed with a large bonfire in the dirt square in front of the Duomo di San Donato and placed in front of the alter where the Easter blessing is said and local people are able to touch and kiss Jesus.

As I said before my new camera's batteries died at the beginning of the procession so I have posted here the photos from last year.