Varette Procession of Good Friday

The dual procession, a unique feature of the Sicilian Holy Week

The Varette Procession of Good Friday is the most anticipated and identity-defining rite of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, in the Province of Messina, in the heart of north-eastern Sicily. Its uniqueness stems from the city's own history: until 1836, Barcellona and Pozzo di Gotto were two separate municipalities, divided by the Longano stream, and each maintained its own Holy Week rites. Even after merging into a single municipality, the two communities kept their respective processions unchanged: for this reason, even today, on Good Friday, two separate and simultaneous processions take place, reuniting in a single, moving embrace.

The Varette and the sculptural groups of the Passion

The varette (or vare) are ancient sculptural groups, some dating back to the 17th and 19th centuries, depicting moments of the Passion of Christ. Each procession traditionally features thirteen vare, including the Last Supper, Christ at the Column, Ecce Homo, the Stripping of Christ, the Meeting with the Pious Women, the Transport to the Sepulchre, and the Pietà. The Barcellona varette are distinguished by their larger size and more elaborate floral decorations, while those of Pozzo di Gotto, being older, preserve the historical version.

The chanting of the Visillanti and the meeting on the Longano Bridge

Setting the slow pace of the processions are the Visillanti, groups of singers who intone the Vexilla Regis, a 6th-century Latin hymn attributed to Venantius Fortunatus that symbolizes the triumph of the Cross. The climax is the meeting of the two processions at dusk along the covered Longano stream: a moment of deep communal devotion that draws thousands of faithful and visitors every year.

A heritage recognized by the Sicily Region

The event is inscribed in the Register of Intangible Heritage (REI) of the Sicily Region and, by decree of June 3, 2026, from the Regional Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, it has been included in the calendar of major tourist attractions in Sicily for the 2026/27 biennium, confirming its religious, cultural, and identity value for Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and the entire Province of Messina.