Good Friday Procession (Via Crucis)

An age-old rite in the heart of the Marsica region

The Good Friday Procession in Scurcola Marsicana, in the province of L'Aquila, is one of the oldest and most well-attended events of Holy Week in Abruzzo. In this small medieval village of the Marsica, nestled at the foot of Mount San Nicola and overlooking the Fucino plain, Good Friday transforms into a day of collective reflection that involves the entire town and attracts faithful from surrounding municipalities.

The Visit to the Seven Churches

The heart of the rite is the so-called Visit to the Seven Churches, which takes place on the morning of Good Friday, from 8:30 AM until after 1:00 PM. The procession departs from the 16th-century mother church of the Santissima Trinità and winds through the streets and alleys of the historic center, visiting the village's places of worship before concluding in Piazza del Mercato. The route symbolically recalls the popular piety of visiting the sepulchers, ideally retracing the stages of the Passion of Christ.

The four confraternities

The protagonists of the procession are the four historic confraternities of Scurcola Marsicana, each with its own cross and traditional attire:

• the Confraternity of the Suffragio, which leads the procession;
• the Confraternity of San Bernardino da Siena;
• the Confraternity of the Santissima Trinità;
• the Confraternity of the Santissimo Sacramento.

Each confraternity proceeds with its own singers, led by a master who coordinates the tempo and tone: the group stops at the master's signal to intone the agreed-upon verses, including the famous Miserere, before resuming their journey. It is this alternation of ancient chants and devout silence that makes the atmosphere of the procession unique.

The Cenacolo and the convivial tradition

The liturgical dimension is complemented by the community aspect of the Cenacolo. Both on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, an ancient ritual meal that has remained unchanged over time is renewed at the confraternities' headquarters, featuring traditional Lenten Marsican dishes such as spaghetti with tuna sauce, salt cod, anchovies, and broccoli. On Good Friday evening, the liturgical action of the Passion of the Lord, which local popular tradition calls the Messa Stracciata, is also celebrated in the church of the Santissima Trinità.

A heritage of faith and identity

For centuries, the Good Friday procession has represented one of the most intense moments of the year for the community of Scurcola Marsicana: a rite passed down from generation to generation, where grandparents, parents, and children share the same path of faith along the village streets. To allow for the event, specific changes to local traffic are implemented. Those visiting Abruzzo during the Easter period will find here one of the most authentic and intimate testimonies of Marsican popular devotion.