Rite of the Fradei of the SS. Trinity

A rite lost in centuries

The Rite of the Fradei of the SS. Trinity is one of the most unique and ancient religious traditions in northern Italy. In Loreo, in the province of Rovigo, in the heart of the Po Delta, the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity — also known as the Fradei Battuti or Flagellants — renews every year, since 1608 and without interruption, a rite that has its roots in centuries past.

The secret part

The confraternity was founded in 1608 by the bishop of Chioggia, Lorenzo Prezzato, and grew so much that it acquired its own oratory. On the night of the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the confreres gather for the vesting of the "novissi" and for a part of the ritual that is strictly secret, celebrated behind closed doors and with lights off in the Cathedral of Loreo. In over four centuries, the details of this ceremony have never been revealed to the outside.

The night procession

After the secret rite, confreres and citizens participate in a procession with lit candles that crosses the village, reaching the Church of the Madonna del Pilastro and the cemetery, before returning to the oratory in Piazza Longhena. The vigil concludes at dawn. A rite of prayer and penance that testifies to the deep spirituality of the Po Delta and which continues, unchanged, for over four centuries.