Holy Week and 'Lu Ncontru' Easter Festival

Holy Week in Casteltermini

In the town of Casteltermini, set among the Sicani Mountains in the province of Agrigento, Holy Week represents the heart of the community's religious identity and folk traditions. For eight days, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, the town's churches and squares become a stage for liturgical celebrations, processions, and ancient rites passed down through generations, blending faith, folklore, and Sicilian tradition.

Rites from Holy Thursday to Good Friday

Holy Thursday features the Mass of the Lord's Supper and the washing of the feet, followed by a prayer vigil before the altars of repose. The most intense and evocative moment occurs on Good Friday: at 4:00 AM, the Via Crucis departs from the Church of San Giuseppe to reach the Calvary, accompanied by the crucifix and the prayers of the faithful. In the afternoon, the procession of Jesus of Nazareth re-enacts his meetings with the Virgin Mary, while the solemn evening procession of the Dead Christ, joined by the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows, Saint John, Veronica, and Mary Magdalene, moves through the historic center in a silence that deeply moves the local population.

'Lu Ncontru' on Easter Sunday

The climax of Holy Week is Easter Sunday, featuring 'Lu Ncontru', the meeting between the Risen Christ and the Virgin Mary. Following the morning mass, the statue of Saint Mary Magdalene leads the procession to meet the Risen Christ, marking the start of a journey punctuated by various 'Ncontri' (encounters) across the town's neighborhoods. A highly symbolic gesture is the 'Livata du mantu nivuru da Madonna'—the removal of the Virgin's black mourning veil, symbolizing the transition from grief to the joy of the Resurrection. The final, highly anticipated 'Ncontru' takes place in Piazza Duomo, in front of the Mother Church, amidst the cheers of the faithful.

The Tradition of the Arches

A distinctive element of the Casteltermini Easter is the arches that adorn the streets of the center: structures decorated with branches of laurel, rosemary, and olive, set up by the residents of the various districts. Processions pass beneath these fragrant arches, creating a natural backdrop that recalls ancient Easter festivals in the Sicani Mountains and links Casteltermini to other famous Agrigento traditions involving Easter arches.

A Community Gathering

The Holy Week of Casteltermini is not just a religious event but a major moment of collective participation, involving confraternities, parishes, and entire neighborhoods. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic village in the Sicilian interior and experience one of the most genuine expressions of Sicilian popular culture, in a town in the province of Agrigento where faith becomes a choral spectacle and a shared identity.