Holy Week in Licodia Eubea

A centuries-old tradition at the foot of the Iblei Mountains

The Holy Week in Licodia Eubea, an ancient village in the Metropolitan City of Catania perched 600 meters high in the Iblei Mountains, is much more than a religious celebration: it is the very identity of a community that renews itself every spring. The rites have their roots in the 16th century, when the priest Ascenzio De Pisanis, returning from Spain, introduced the solemn celebrations of Christ's death and resurrection to the town. The devotional chants that accompany every moment, sung in the Sicilian language, are among the oldest in the Licodian cultural heritage.

The Sittina d'Addulurata

The long cycle of the Passion begins on the fourth Sunday of Lent with the Septenary of Our Lady of Sorrows, popularly known as the Sittina d'Addulurata: seven days of prayers held in the Mother Church, featuring the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the singing of the 'Sette Spate', and religious services. The cycle culminates on the Venniri di l'Addulurata, the day dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which prepares the village for the upcoming Holy Week.

Holy Wednesday: Christ at the Column

The first major procession takes place on Holy Wednesday, when the statue of Christ scourged at the pillar leaves the Mother Church to travel through the streets of the historic center. The statue is welcomed into the village churches, where the SS. Crocifisso Association intones ancient laments and traditional melodies in Sicilian.

Good Friday: The Giunta and 'u Signuri 'a cascia'

Good Friday is the longest and most intense day. Around 10:30 AM, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the Giunta takes place: the dramatic encounter between the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, arriving from the Church of the Crucifix, and the sculptural group of Christ with the Cross, dragged by the Circieddu, a characteristic figure depicted with a rope around Jesus' neck. The bowing of the two statues occurs amidst the faithful to the sound of the band's funeral marches. On the churchyard of the Church of the Crucifix, the traditional Auction of the Cross is held, followed by the re-enactment of the Crucifixion on Mount Calvary. At 5:00 PM sharp, the mournful procession of 'u Signuri 'a cascia'—Christ laid in the urn—departs from the Mother Church, meeting Our Lady of Sorrows along the way before reaching Mount Calvary.

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection Giunta

The festival concludes in joy on Easter Sunday: the lowering of the large Lenten cloth in the Mother Church, a 19th-century work by the painter Giuseppe Tanasi from Palazzolo, announces the resurrection. In the afternoon, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the Resurrection Giunta is celebrated—the festive encounter between the Madonna and the Risen Christ, which closes the rites amidst the exultation of the entire community.

Between faith and the Iblei heritage

The processions involve confraternities, associations, and bearers, uniting the entire village and numerous visitors. The Holy Week in Licodia Eubea represents one of the cornerstones of Sicilian popular religiosity: an intangible heritage made of wooden statues, ancient chants, and gestures passed down from generation to generation in the heart of the province of Catania.