Holy Week Procession (Good Friday)

Holy Week in the home of the Scala dei Turchi

In Realmonte, a small town in the province of Agrigento known worldwide for the white marl cliffs of the Scala dei Turchi, Holy Week is the most intense moment of the religious year. The rites, organized by the Pia Confraternita della Croce (founded in 1897), transform the streets of the historic center into a grand open-air sacred theater, where popular faith and tradition merge into a representation shared by the entire community.

The Lamentatori and 'u lamentu'

The heart of the Realmonte rites are the Lamentatori, singers who follow the Passion of Christ by intoning 'u lamentu', an ancient chant in Latin and Sicilian with peasant roots, handed down from father to son. As members of the Confraternity, they accompany every stage of the Passion with their voices, giving the processions an atmosphere of profound devotion and great sonic suggestion.

Good Friday

The highlight is Good Friday. In the morning, two processions leave the church: one carries the statue of Jesus with the cross, followed by the brothers in their traditional white robes, while the other carries the statue of the Madonna Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) accompanied by a choir. The two processions move in opposite directions until they reach Piazza Umberto I, where the moving meeting between the Mother and the Son takes place. From here, the processions unite and climb to the Calvary, where Christ is nailed to the cross by Roman soldiers played by local youths, who then remain to guard the site throughout the day. In the evening, the deposition from the cross and the placement of the dead Christ in the urn take place, accompanied by a second poignant procession.

The other days of the week

The rites begin on Palm Sunday, when a child playing Jesus crosses the town on the back of a donkey followed by the Apostles, and continue on Holy Thursday with the washing of the feet and the evening procession of the Addolorata. The cycle closes on Easter Sunday with the representation of the meeting between the Risen Christ and the Madonna along Via Belvedere.

A Sicilian tradition

The Holy Week of Realmonte is part of the rich landscape of Easter rites in Sicily, among the most spiritually and theatrically charged in Italy. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic and intimate side of the Agrigento territory, far from the summer crowds of the coast, in a village that proudly guards its roots.