Risen Christ Procession

The most anticipated Easter in Tuscia

Every Easter Sunday, Tarquinia, in the heart of the Viterbo Tuscia, experiences its most intense day with the Risen Christ Procession, the territory's most anticipated and spectacular popular festival. Windows and balconies in the historic center are draped in festive fabrics, streets fill with thousands of visitors arriving from afar, and the entire city gathers around the statue of the Redeemer kept in the Church of Saint Joseph.

The "Running Christ"

What makes this procession unique is its rhythm: the heavy statue of the Risen Christ—weighing about six hundred kilograms—is carried on the shoulders of sixteen brothers, coordinated by a lead bearer, at a brisk pace and in some sections even at a run. This is why the people of Tarquinia speak of the "Running Christ": the run symbolizes the joyful announcement of the resurrection, carried with momentum through the cheering and moved crowd.

The statue and its protagonists

The statue of the Redeemer is a 19th-century work by sculptor Bartolomeo Canini, created from a plaster sketch by Pietro Tenerani, rediscovered in the 1980s. A procession rich in figures handed down from generation to generation revolves around it:

• The marksmen (sparatori), armed with Maremma shotguns loaded with blanks (today using confetti cartridges), open and punctuate the route with hundreds of shots fired toward the sky: a tradition documented as early as 1622.
• The trunks (tronchi), nine large crosses adorned with laurel garlands and flowers, weighing between 75 and 95 kilograms and up to five meters tall, carried in turns by teams of three men: a true test of strength, skill, and endurance.
• The banner of Saint Joseph, the blue flag made in 1903 by the Passionist nuns and restored in 1935.
• The lanterns, six decorative elements created in 1892 by artist Gervaso Pasquini, a symbol of the victory of life over death.
• The "Giacomo Setaccioli" brass band, a historic town ensemble with over two centuries of activity and more than fifty members, which accompanies the entire journey.

The route through the historic center

The procession departs from the Church of Saint Joseph and travels through the iconic streets and squares of Tarquinia: Via dello Statuto, Via Garibaldi, the city wall arch, Viale Igea with a stop at the hospital, Via XX Settembre, Via Umberto I, Piazza Cavour in front of Palazzo Vitelleschi, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Matteotti, and Piazza Trento e Trieste with a stop at the Church of Saint Leonardo, before the triumphant return to Saint Joseph.

A centuries-old tradition

The roots of the festival go back centuries: the tradition of the marksmen is documented since the 17th century, and the procession has been attested to since at least the 18th century. Popular legend tells that the statue was commissioned by the carpenters' guild to a condemned sculptor, who was later blinded so he could not replicate its beauty. The Tarquinia Holy Week also includes the solemn Dead Christ Procession on Good Friday and the evocative "Unveiling" of the statue on Easter night.

Tarquinia, between Etruscans and the Lazio Maremma

Organized by the Association of the Brothers of the Risen Christ with the support of the Municipality of Tarquinia, in the province of Viterbo, the procession is one of the most authentic expressions of the popular identity of Lazio. It is also the perfect opportunity to discover the city: the UNESCO-listed Monterozzi Etruscan necropolis, the National Archaeological Museum in Palazzo Vitelleschi, and the medieval village of towers and Romanesque churches.