Holy Week – Procession of the Barette

A tradition renewed for over four centuries

The Procession of the Barette is the most anticipated and deeply felt event of Holy Week in Messina, in the heart of north-eastern Sicily. Its origins date back to 1610, when the governor of the Confraternity of the Madonna del Rosario, Don Andrea Furnari, together with councilors Don Pietro Staiti and Don Mario Corvaja, gave the rite a solemnity and splendor never seen before. Since then, every Good Friday, the city of Messina gathers around this secular manifestation of faith.

The Barette: eleven statuary groups of the Passion

The procession consists of eleven statuary groups, the so-called "barette" or "vare", which depict the salient episodes of the Passion of Christ. The name derives from the ancient "bare" (biers), the simulacra carried on shoulders; initially there were only three, then the tradition was enriched over time thanks to donations from artisans, associations, and the faithful as ex-votos. The groups, created in different eras, are works in papier-mâché, plaster, and wood that testify to the artisanal mastery of Messina.

The route through the historic center

The procession departs at 6:00 PM from the Church of the Nuovo Oratorio della Pace e Bianchi, on Via XXIV Maggio. The parade crosses Via Sant'Agostino, Piazza Antonello, Corso Cavour, Via Tommaso Cannizzaro, Via Garibaldi, and Via I Settembre, until it reaches Piazza Duomo, where the archbishop imparts his blessing to the city. The evening concludes with the evocative "'nchianata" along Via Oratorio San Francesco, the arduous and moving return of the barette towards the starting church.

Atmosphere and traditional figures

The procession is accompanied by the city's musical bands and enriched by the presence of historical and popular figures: the biancuzze, the babbaluci, and the maddalene, which contribute to creating an atmosphere of intense recollection and participation. The Procession of the Barette is part of a broader calendar of Holy Week rites in Messina, which culminates on Easter Sunday with the Procession of the Spampanati.

An identity heritage of Sicily

More than just a religious event, the Procession of the Barette represents an authentic identity heritage for Messina and the entire Sicily region. Passed down from generation to generation, it unites faith, art, and collective memory, attracting the faithful, the curious, and visitors along the streets of the city's historic center every year.