Holy Week in Randazzo

A centuries-old tradition at the foot of Mount Etna

The Holy Week in Randazzo is one of the most evocative Easter rituals on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. It takes place in the heart of the medieval village of Randazzo, in the province of Catania, amidst Norman churches, lava-stone streets, and squares that serve as the backdrop for celebrations deeply rooted in the identity of the Sicilian community. The rites unfold throughout the week, led by the town's ancient confraternities, and culminate in moments of profound popular devotion.

The role of the confraternities

The organizational heart of Holy Week lies in the historic confraternities of Randazzo, each linked to a specific church and a particular moment of the rites:

• Confraternity of Maria SS. Addolorata — manages the Monday processions and the Good Friday evening pageant from the Church of San Pietro.
• Confraternity of Maria SS. Annunziata — leads the Tuesday celebrations from the Church of the Annunziata.
• Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix — guides the Good Friday morning procession from the Church of San Martino.
• Archconfraternity of the Holy Souls in Purgatory — organizes the Dead Christ procession on Holy Saturday from the Church of San Nicola.

The "Scinnuta ra Cruci" and the "vare"

Among the most characteristic elements is the "Scinnuta ra Cruci", the ceremony during which the statues of the Crucified Christ and the Virgin of Sorrows are removed from their altars and placed onto artistic vare (processional floats) in preparation for the great Good Friday procession. The venerated 17th-century Crucifix and the Addolorata are illuminated by lumiere — candles enclosed in glass globes fixed to a gilded wooden starburst structure — which lend the processions an intense and intimate atmosphere.

The Good Friday climax

Good Friday is the most anticipated day. In the evening, the town procession departs from the Church of San Pietro with the statues of the Holy Crucifix and Maria SS. Addolorata, each carried on a separate float by devotees wearing white robes as a sign of penance. The procession involves confraternities, lay associations, clergy, and civil and military authorities, winding through the medieval streets and stopping at the most poignant moments: the descent and ascent of San Bartolomeo, the meeting between the Mother and the Son in Piazza San Giorgio, and the solemn passage before the Basilica of Santa Maria.

Randazzo, a medieval treasure of Sicily

Set in one of Sicily's best-preserved villages, the Holy Week in Randazzo blends faith, art, and landscape: the churches of San Pietro, San Martino, San Nicola, the Annunziata, and the Basilica of Santa Maria frame the rites, while Mount Etna looms in the background. It is an event that attracts the faithful, curious travelers, and lovers of folk traditions, offering an authentic immersion into the religious culture of Eastern Sicily.