Procession of the Mysteries (Good Friday)

The oldest procession in Altamura

The Good Friday Procession of the Mysteries is the oldest sacred event in Altamura, a significant city in the Province of Bari, located in the heart of the Apulian Alta Murgia. Established in 1615, it has been held for over four centuries and represents the most intense and deeply felt moment of the Altamura Holy Week. On Good Friday evening, the historic center comes to a standstill, gathering in silence around the statues of the Mysteries of the Passion of Christ as they slowly parade through the illuminated streets and squares.

The statues of the Mysteries

The devotional heart of the procession lies in the wooden statues of the Mysteries, kept in the Church of San Sepolcro. Many of these are the work of the renowned Altamura workshop of the Altieri family and depict the stages of the Via Crucis: Jesus in the Garden of Olives, Jesus at the Column, Jesus Crowned with Thorns, Jesus Carrying the Cross, and the Crucifix. The procession is joined by the image of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Dead Christ, and the Pietà, testaments to an artistic and religious tradition that has also left its mark in other towns in Puglia, such as Ruvo di Puglia.

A journey that unites the city

The procession involves all the parishes of Altamura: numerous confraternities and parish associations parade in traditional attire, accompanying the statues along a long route that touches the symbolic landmarks of the historic center, from the Church of San Sepolcro to Piazza Duomo, in front of the splendid Swabian Cathedral, and back. It is a choral rite, composed of silence, sacred song, and popular participation, in which the community renews its bond with its roots and collective memory every year.

Spirituality and identity

More than just a religious appointment, the Procession of the Mysteries is a foundational element of the city's identity. For one evening, Altamura residents of all generations and visitors find themselves on the streets following the passage of the statues in a suspended and moving atmosphere. The powerful artistic expression of the sculptures, combined with the devotion of the confraternities, makes this rite one of the most evocative events of Holy Week in Puglia.