The Path of the White-Robed (Good Friday)

A ritual that traverses the entire Vallo di Lauro

Good Friday in the Vallo di Lauro is no ordinary day. Long before dawn, from the churches and chapels of the villages overlooking the plain, the so-called cantori delle tenebre (singers of the darkness) emerge: men and women wrapped in long tunics, their heads covered by a white cloth held in place by a crown of thorny branches. These are the Biancovestiti, and their singing accompanies the entire day, from one sepulchre to the next, until the final convergence in Lauro. The group from the municipality of Pago del Vallo di Lauro, in the province of Avellino, is one of the historic protagonists of this pilgrimage.

Tunics, symbols of the Passion, and Via Crucis chants

The sight is truly unforgettable. The men wear white robes cinched at the waist with a hood, while the women wear dark garments with veils; all carry symbols of the Passion in procession, including wooden crosses, one of which bears the INRI inscription draped in white. At each stop, the groups form a circle and intone the verses accompanying the fourteen stations of the Via Crucis, sung a cappella and polyphonically, following the ancient practice of cantus planus binatim. The texts are attributed to Luigi Antonio Locatelli, though they have long been associated with Pietro Metastasio as well.

The group from Pago del Vallo di Lauro

Pago del Vallo di Lauro is one of seven centers that sustain the rite, alongside Marzano di Nola, Taurano, Quindici, Bosagro, Moschiano, and Lauro. The singers from Pago depart from their village in the early hours of the morning, visit the Holy Sepulchres set up in the local churches, and begin their journey toward Lauro, where their arrival is traditionally scheduled for around 12:30 PM, just before the arrival of the local group. In the evening, each community returns to its own village for the local procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Campania

The ritual, which originated in the mid-19th century in the Vallo di Lauro, has been officially inscribed by regional decree in the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Campania Region. This recognition has given momentum to the creation of the Biancovestiti del Vallo di Lauro Association, which brings together groups from the various municipalities with the goal of protecting and passing down the chants and traditions of Holy Week. The oldest testimonies trace the local devotion back to the 16th century, while historian Pasquale Moschiano has documented these practices in the volume I riti della settimana santa nel Vallo di Lauro.

How the day unfolds

• Before dawn: The groups leave their respective villages and begin their pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchres.
• Morning: Staggered arrivals in Lauro, at the Arco di Fellino and towards Piazza Umberto Nobile, with one group following another.
• Noon: Arrival of the singers from Pago del Vallo di Lauro, followed by the local Lauro group.
• Evening: Procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in each municipality, with the Biancovestiti accompanying the cortege.

An experience to be lived in silence

This is not a folkloric show staged for visitors: it is a living popular liturgy, participated in by entire families and passed down from generation to generation. Visitors from outside are warmly welcomed, provided they respect the solemn tone of the day: follow the procession at a distance, avoid obstructing the singers, and limit the use of camera flashes. For those wishing to discover the interior of Campania beyond the beaten path, Good Friday in the Vallo di Lauro is one of the most authentic occasions in all of Irpinia.