Easter in Caltagirone – 'A Giunta

Easter in Caltagirone: Faith and Tradition

In Caltagirone, a city in the Calatino area near Catania, world-renowned for its ceramics and its UNESCO-listed Baroque center, Holy Week is one of the most deeply felt times of the year. For an entire week, the town transforms into a vast open-air theater, where the sacred and the popular intertwine along the streets, squares, and the famous Santa Maria del Monte Staircase.

The Three Pillars of Holy Week

The celebration is structured around three main events. It begins with the Passion of Christ, a sacred performance featuring dozens of actors and costumed extras who bring Piazza Municipio and the scenic Santa Maria del Monte Staircase to life. This is followed on Good Friday by the solemn Procession of the Dead Christ and the Sorrowful Virgin Mary, accompanied by the historical pageant of the Civic Senate and a brass band. The climax arrives on Easter Sunday with the ritual of 'A Giunta.

The 'A Giunta Ritual

'A Giunta is the most anticipated and iconic moment of the Caltagirone Easter. A towering, three-meter-tall papier-mâché statue of Saint Peter makes its way through the historic center, tasked with announcing the Resurrection of the Son to the Virgin Mary. The three statues—the Risen Christ, the Sorrowful Virgin Mary, and Saint Peter—process through the streets until the climactic moment: upon seeing her Son, the Virgin Mary sheds her black mourning cloak to reveal the festive colors of blue and white, amidst shouts of joy and the choral cry of "Viva Maria." The celebration concludes with the traditional "Spartenza", the moving final separation of the statues.

An Artistic and Devotional Heritage

The Easter celebrations in Caltagirone are rooted in a centuries-old tradition and preserve works of great value. The Urn of the Dead Christ, designed in 1851 by architect Salvatore Marino, was carved in 1853 by sculptor Giuseppe Polizzi; the statue of the Dead Christ, fashioned from a single cypress trunk, is the work of Giuseppe Vaccaro (1850), while the statue of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary is by Vincenzo Nigido (1856). This heritage beautifully weaves religious devotion with the city's great artistic and artisanal tradition.

Experience the Festival in the Baroque Town

Attending Holy Week in Caltagirone means discovering one of Sicily's most fascinating Baroque centers: the monumental staircase, the churches, the polychrome ceramics, and the unique atmosphere of the Calatino region. The celebrations, organized under the patronage of the Municipality of Caltagirone and the Sicilian Region, attract faithful, curious onlookers, and tourists from across the island every year.