Corpus Domini – Procession with the Civic Senate

A Baroque tradition in the heart of Caltagirone

The Corpus Domini is one of the most cherished events in the civil and religious calendar of Caltagirone, the city of ceramics and a jewel of Sicilian Baroque in the province of Catania. Every year, the Eucharistic solemnity gathers faithful, citizens, and visitors around the Cathedral Basilica of San Giuliano, the starting point for one of the most solemn processions of the year.

The celebration and the procession

The day begins in the late afternoon with the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Bishop of Caltagirone in the Cathedral of San Giuliano. At the end of the Mass, the city Eucharistic procession begins, winding slowly along the streets of the historic center and symbolically uniting two important parish communities. Along the route, citizens are invited to decorate their balconies and streets, a custom that makes the entire town a participant in the feast.

The Civic Senate Historical Pageant

The element that makes the Corpus Domini procession in Caltagirone unique is the participation of the Civic Senate Historical Pageant, a prestigious component of local traditions. Its origins date back to the 17th century, when the city experienced a period of great prosperity and the Civic Senate, the local legislative assembly, took on a prominent role. The pageant consists of about thirty participants in period costumes, reproduced with philological care:

• mace-bearers and staff-bearers
• captain of justice
• standard-bearer and halberdiers
• drummers and trumpeters
• senators, attendants, and messengers

The pageant accompanies the highest civil and religious authorities of the city, offering a living re-enactment of the splendor of Caltagirone between the 16th and 17th centuries. The tradition is so deeply rooted in the local identity that an exhibition is also dedicated to it, under the acronym "S.P.Q.C.".

When and where

The festival takes place in June, coinciding with the liturgical solemnity of Corpus Domini, with the Cathedral and the historic center of Caltagirone as its epicenter. A perfect opportunity to discover one of the iconic cities of Sicilian Baroque, a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the Val di Noto, and to experience a procession filled with faith, history, and beauty.