Living Via Crucis

The Passion of Christ in the heart of Grottaminarda

On the eve of Holy Week, the center of Grottaminarda, a town in the Province of Avellino, Campania, transforms into a sacred open-air stage. The Living Via Crucis is an itinerant, acted-out performance of the Passion of Christ that travels along Corso Vittorio Veneto, the town's main artery, involving dozens of parishioners in the roles of the Gospel story.

Reaching its twenty-third edition in 2026, the event is traditionally held on the Saturday before Palm Sunday and is one of the most heartfelt appointments in the Irpinian Lenten calendar. It is not a theatrical performance in the strict sense: it is a collective ritual where the community tells its story and recognizes itself.

The route: from the Aragonese Customs House to the Calvary

The procession begins at the ancient Post Station, also known as the Aragonese Customs House, one of the town's most iconic historic buildings. From here, the acted-out procession moves up Corso Vittorio Veneto, stopping at the various stations set up along the road, each dedicated to a moment of the Passion, until reaching the Calvary of Jesus, where the final scene of the crucifixion takes place.

The choice of the town's main street as a stage is no coincidence: after the 2024 edition, hosted in the De Curtis Gardens, the organizers brought the performance back to the beating heart of Grottaminarda, where the public can follow the journey from sidewalks, doorways, and balconies.

Performers, costumes, and preparations

• About eighty actors and extras in period costumes, all volunteers from the parish community
• Costumes enriched over the years thanks to spontaneous donations from local businesses
• Weeks of rehearsals, set-ups, and attention to scenic details before the event
• Collaboration of technicians, Public Assistance volunteers, and law enforcement for safety along the route

The care and maintenance of the costumes have been entrusted for years to long-time volunteers of the event, including Elia Flammia and Luigi Mattia, while the spiritual guidance is provided by the parish priests, Father Rosario and Father Nico.

Who organizes it

The Living Via Crucis is promoted by the Santa Maria Maggiore Parish, with the collaboration of the Grottaminarda Public Assistance and the Pro Loco Grottaminarda APS, and with the financial patronage of the Municipality of Grottaminarda. The Municipal Police and the Carabinieri contribute to the success of the event by regulating traffic and monitoring the route.

A popular ritual of Irpinia

Sacred representations of Holy Week are a constant in Southern Italy, but in Irpinia, they take on a particularly communal character: there are no professional companies; the inhabitants themselves act, often spanning multiple generations within the same family. In Grottaminarda, the Via Crucis has thus become a moment where religious devotion intertwines with the collective memory of the town and the enhancement of its historic sites.

For those visiting inland Campania, the event is also an opportunity to discover a center of the Ufita Valley, just a few kilometers from the A16 motorway exit, and its gastronomic tradition made of typical Irpinian products.

Essential information

• When: the Saturday before Palm Sunday, starting in the early evening
• Where: Corso Vittorio Veneto, Grottaminarda (AV)
• Admission: free
• In case of bad weather: the performance is postponed to a recovery date communicated by the organizers