Sancataldese Holy Week
Rituals, sacred plays, and the Sampauluna giants in the heart of Sicily
About Sancataldese Holy Week
An Easter that becomes popular theater
The Sancataldese Holy Week is the identity core of San Cataldo, a town in the province of Caltanissetta in the heart of Sicily. For an entire week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, the streets and squares of the historic center fill with processions, parades, and sacred plays that weave together faith, culture, and popular tradition. It is not merely a religious rite: it is a great choral narrative that the community has been staging for generations.
The Sampauluna, the papier-mâché giants
The most beloved symbol of this Holy Week is the Sampauluna (in the Sancataldese dialect, the "Big Saint Pauls"): imposing papier-mâché statues over three meters tall depicting the eleven Apostles, excluding Judas. They were created between 1846 and 1852 by Michele Butera and are now preserved and promoted by the Giuseppe Amico Medico cultural association, which oversees their restoration and conservation. On Easter Sunday, the Sampauluna parade along the main street, culminating in the famous race of the Sampauluna, a moment of intense popular participation that celebrates the discovery of the empty tomb and the Resurrection.
'A Scinnenza and the Mysteries
Among the most moving moments is 'A Scinnenza, the sacred representation of the deposition of Christ from the cross; the text is the work of Francesco Medico and has been performed in San Cataldo since 1860. Equally characteristic are the Mysteries processions featuring 19th-century statuary groups known as Vare, created by the Malecore brothers, and the Procession of the Little Mysteries, with simulacra retracing the sacrifice of Jesus. On Holy Wednesday, The Trial of Jesus is staged, a historical reconstruction featuring Roman legionaries on foot and on horseback, priests, and the people.
An event for all of Sicily
The Holy Week of San Cataldo is considered one of the most important in Central Sicily and attracts visitors from across the Sicilian Region every year. Organized by the Pro Loco San Cataldo together with numerous associations and confraternities, it combines the spiritual dimension with the scenographic and folkloric, in a calendar packed with rituals that bring the Municipality of San Cataldo to life from morning until late at night.
Sancataldese Holy Week — edition 2026
The 2026 edition was held from March 29 to April 5, confirming San Cataldo as a key center for Easter in Central Sicily. The program combined traditional classics with significant innovations, such as Italian Sign Language interpretation during key moments and a new twinning agreement with Impruneta. The heart of the edition was once again the race of the Sampauluna on Easter Sunday and the evocative 'A Scinnenza on Good Friday, enriched by an orchestra and opera singing.
Programme Sancataldese Holy Week 2026
Holy Monday — March 30
- 20:00 — "The Last Supper", Piazzale degli Eroi
Holy Tuesday — March 31
- 19:00 — Departure of the Procession of the Little Mysteries from Piazza Monsignor Cataldo Naro (28 simulacra)
- 20:00 — Parade with the laudatori of Marianopoli
- 20:30 — "U Cristu 'nni l'Urna", Church of Santa Maria della Catena
- 22:00 — Lament of Mary at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Holy Wednesday — April 1
- 18:30 — Historical procession with Roman legionaries on foot and on horseback, priests, and the people
- 20:00 — "The Trial of Jesus", Piazzale degli Eroi
- 21:00 — "On the Way to Calvary"
Holy Thursday — April 2
- 21:00 — Procession of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint John
- 23:45 — Traditional closing of the "U Ratò" door with the weeping of Mary
Good Friday — April 3
- 6:30 — Procession of the Dead Christ, homily by Mons. Mario Russotto
- 11:30 — Procession of the Mysteries from Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII
- 12:00 — "'Ncuntru di mazziurnu", Corso Vittorio Emanuele
- 20:00 — "'A Scinnenza", sacred play in Piazza Calvario with orchestra and opera singing
- 21:00 — Solemn procession of the Dead Christ towards the Mother Church
Easter Sunday — April 5
- 18:00 — "'U 'Ncuntru di li Sampauluna" with the Risen Jesus, the Madonna, and Mary Magdalene
- 18:30 — Solemn procession and race of the Sampauluna towards the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie
The program was subject to change.
Highlights Sancataldese Holy Week 2026
Prices Sancataldese Holy Week 2026
Practical information — Sancataldese Holy Week
How to get there
San Cataldo is located a few kilometers from Caltanissetta, along the SS640 Caltanissetta-Agrigento highway. By car, take the A19 Palermo-Catania motorway and exit at Caltanissetta. The reference railway station is Caltanissetta Centrale, which is connected to the town by bus.
When
The rituals take place during Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The main events run from early morning until late at night.
Admission
Processions and rituals along the city streets are free and open to everyone. For some sacred plays with seating, booking is recommended, as tickets have sold out quickly in recent years.
Contacts
Pro Loco San Cataldo, Via Belvedere 1 — Tel. +39 389 263 2947 — [email protected]
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Where does it take place — Sancataldese Holy Week
Centro storico di San Cataldo
Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 93017 San Cataldo