Good Friday Procession

A centuries-old tradition in the heart of the Nebrodi

The Good Friday Procession is one of the most deeply felt rites in the religious calendar of Ficarra, a picturesque village perched in the Nebrodi mountains, in the province of Messina. As a recurring community event, the procession still preserves an intimate and solemn participation in the mystery of Christ's suffering and death, representing the spiritual culmination of Holy Week meditation.

The 'varette' and the Mysteries of the Passion

The central moment of the rite is the solemn parade of the varette through the town streets. These are statue groups depicting the Mysteries of the Passion, carried on shoulders in procession amidst the moving devotion of the faithful. The images carried in the pageant include:

• The Addolorata, the Mother of Sorrows weeping for her Son;
• The Ecce Homo, Christ scourged and crowned with thorns;
• The Crucified Jesus;
• The Dead Jesus in the urn, laid to rest in the sepulcher.

The Sicilian 'varette' have roots in a Spanish tradition dating back to the early 17th century: the sculptural groups, created in different eras from papier-mâché, plaster, and wood, accompany the people in the re-enactment of Christ's journey to Calvary.

Faith, community, and the identity of Ficarra

The procession involves the entire community of Ficarra in an atmosphere of silence and contemplation. The pageant winds slowly along the alleys and squares of the historic center, among the stone houses of the village, while popular devotion accompanies the 'varette' with prayers and hymns. Good Friday thus marks the most dramatic moment of Holy Week, before the Easter joy of Resurrection Sunday.

A village guarding its traditions

Ficarra has always been a careful guardian of its cultural and popular identity: the renowned folk group "I Nebrodi," founded in 1968, has been active in the town for decades, helping to bring to light the music, songs, dances, costumes, and traditions of the area. In this context, the Good Friday Procession is not just a religious rite, but also an intangible heritage that binds generations together and tells the deepest soul of this corner of the Messina Nebrodi.