We love spending Easter in Italy. There is arguably no better time to explore all that Italy has to offer. Temperatures tend to be pleasant rather than stifling and the Spring blossom has sprung and the flowers are in bloom bringing an explosion of colour to the Italian countryside. The tourist attractions will be quieter than in the peak Summer months making sightseeing so much more fun, and restauranteurs and shops are pleased to see holidaymakers back, providing visitors with a very warm welcome.
There is an old Italian saying – Aprile, dolce dormire – which seems to sum up the month perfectly for us. April feels a calming month to be in Italy, almost as if the country is slowly and gently waking up after the Winter months, excited about the year ahead.
Italy remains a deeply religious country too and so, unsurprisingly, Easter also has a host of events for visitors to participate in and enjoy, yet another reason why Easter is the perfect time to visit Italy. So in this article, we will be sharing some of the most important and famous Easter celebrations in Italy should you be looking to spend Easter 2024 in Italy. Alongside that, we’ll share with you some of the ongoing exhibitions which will also be taking place in Italy this Easter.
Easter Celebrations in Italy
La Semana Santa (Holy Week), Alghero, Sardinia, 24-31 March, 2024
This religious event dates back hundreds of years to the end of the 17th century when the island of Sardinia was dominated by the Spanish. Alghero is situated in NW Sardinia and was one of the first places that the Catalonians reached. They expelled all the town’s residents and replaced them with people from Catalonia. In fact, they ensured that their domination here was so complete that Alghero’s connections with Catalonia have earned it the nickname ‘Little Barcelona’. Even today, you will still see Catalan translations on road signs in the town and the festival attracts both Sardinians and Spain’s Catalan community.
During this week, the street lights are turned red to represent the Passion of Christ, which in turn invokes quite a mysterious atmosphere throughout the town. A number of different celebrations take place across the course of the week in both Alghero’s fortress and its churches, with many locals and visitors alike dressed in Spanish folklore costumes.
Events will start with the Processione dei Misteri on the Monday before Easter. Then on Thursday 28th March, there will be a procession following either the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin or the Madonna of the Misericordia from the church of the latter to the Church of Santa Maria where a huge crucifix is raised. The main procession, however, will be the procession the following day (Holy Friday) and this certainly attracts the biggest crowds. A procession made up of people dressed in black and holding red torches, makes its way from the Church of Santa Maria back to the Chiesa della Misericordia, where a dying Christ figure lies in rest for three days. Celebrations culminate on Easter Monday in the Piazza dello Sventramento when the Virgin Mary meets with the resurrected figure of Jesus, an event marked by the locals who fire bullets into the sky as a sign of happiness.
La Semana Santa (Holy Week), Sulmona, Abruzzo, 24-31 March, 2024
Of course, Alghero is not alone in marking Holy Week. Towns and cities all over Italy will celebrate and mark La Semana Santa. Another very famous celebration is in Sulmona in Abruzzo. Here, there will once again be numerous processions including that on Good Friday which starts at the Church of Annunziata and makes its way to the Church of the Trinity. Just as spectacular will be the Easter Sunday parade of the Confrati (friars) which is said to represent the meeting of the Virgin Mary with the risen Christ and which is called the Madonna Che Scappa (the Dashing Madonna).
The Madonna Che Scappa will take place on the morning of Sunday 9 April. No one is certain about the exact origins of this celebration but it is likely that it dates back hundreds of years. In the morning, head to what will be a very crowded Piazza Garibaldi to witness it. At the front of the procession friars carry the statues of the Resurrected Christ, Saint John and Saint Peter into the square. Participants are dressed in green and whit, the colours of peace, hope and resurrection. The Statue of a grieving Virgin Mary dressed in black is then brought to the other side of the square. She is approached by the statue of Saint John and after a few attempts to convince her that Jesus has risen, Mary follows both John and Peter to the Church. There, she recognises her resurrected son and the black cape and handkerchief of the Madonna are lifted, revealing the green dress underneath, embroidered with gold and adorned with a red rose. A flight of 12 doves are released at this point.
And then, at midday, the Virgin Mary essentially starts a race to meet Christ. This lively part of the proceedings is accompanied by plenty of music, much applause and the noise of firecrackers. Everyone embraces one another as she arrives in front of Christ. Events then culminate with an Easter feast.
Tradition dictates that if the events of the day pass smoothly without obstacles then it will be a successful and propitious year for the town. However, should anything untoward happen, it signals that bad luck or misfortune will head their way. In Sulmona, residents will tell you that in 1914 and 1940, Madonna’s statue fell twice during the race, symbolic of the World Wars that were to follow.
Sacred Representation of Good Friday, Valmontone, Rome, 29 March, 2024
On Venerdi Santo (Good Friday), the mood in Italy can often be quite sombre, with many churches cloaking statues in black or dark red covers. Church statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary will often be paraded through the streets on this day, with participants dressed in costumes carrying olive branches or palm fronds. However, arguably the biggest of these is the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa in Rome. Tens of thousands of Christians will make their way from all parts of the world to Rome to participate in a torchlit procession led by the Pope.
Rome’s Good Friday processions have quite a theatrical feel to them too, with actors reciting texts based on the Holy Scriptures during the Sacred Representation of Valmontone. These actors will tell the story of Jesus’ life using the New Testament stories, reconstructing the Nativity and then following the key events of Jesus’ life to the Via Crucis and deposition from the Cross.
Misteri di Trapani (Procession of the Mysteries), Trapani, Sicily, 29 March, 2024
There are a number of other major events in Italy on Good Friday including a number of processions in Sicily which tend to be amongst the most dramatic of any across the country. These will include the Good Friday procession ā€“ Misteri di Trapani ā€“ in Trapani which lasts 24 hours, starting from 2 pm on the 29th March and continuing through into the Saturday. This is one of Italy’s oldest religious events and is certainly its longest. During the event, 20 groups of 17th and 18th century statues (Sacred Mysteries), which each represent the various stages of the Via Crucis, will make their way through the city.
Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart), Florence, 31 March, 2024
The most impressive Easter Sunday celebrations are, without doubt, in Florence. Here, the Scoppio del Carro takes place. The spectacle dates back to the time of the First Crusade at the end of the 11th century when a soldier from the Pazzi family scaled the walls of Jerusalem and was rewarded for his efforts with three pieces of the Holy Sepulchre.
These days, the event in Florence involves the pulling of an 18th century cart by a pair of oxen to the central Piazza del Duomo. Arrive early to have a chance of seeing them make their way through the streets of Florence. Accompanied by a throng of flag throwers and drummers, it’s an impressive sight. Once at the cathedral square, and from the safety of the cathedral altar, the Archbishop of Florence lights the fuse of a dove-shaped rocket just before 11 a.m. This then sets off down a wire to the cart outside, which in turn sets off a spectacular fireworks display.
Abballu de li Diavuli (Dance of the Devils), Prizzi, Sicily, 31 March, 2024
But, not to be outdone, Sicily has a number of famous religious festivals on Easter Sunday too. One of the most famous of these is a procession held every Easter Sunday in Prizzi, a town which sits on top of the Sicani Mountains in Sicily, 1000 metres above sea level, making it one of the island’s highest villages. During the procession, people will dress up as devils, wearing red robes and adorning rather terrifying zinc masks, and dash through the village trying to capture as many souls as they can over the course of the morning. However, in the afternoon the Virgin Mary meets with the Resurrected Christ, the devils are captured and they are carried by angels to the Virgin Mary.
Other parades include Maronne Vasa Vasa in Modica in Sicily. This is a spectacular parade through the town’s streets during which the statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary are paraded.
Also of note is the event known as the Diavolato di Adrano which takes place in Adrano in Catania, Sicily. Events revolve around the performance of an 18th century play by Don Anselmo Laudani which takes place on the evening of Easter Sunday.
Head to Adrano on Easter morning to see the statues of Christ, the Virgin Mary and St Michael the Archangel being paraded through the streets. In the town’s main piazza, the play is then performed on a central stage which is divided in two. On one part is hell and on the other heaven. The play essentially acts out the battle between good and evil as St Michael the Archangel battles with a number of devils, defeating the forces of evil and even getting them to praise God saying the words Viva Maria.
Exhibitions at Easter in Italy
Of course, not all the events in Italy this Easter are religious celebrations. There are also a number of fantastic exhibitions in Italy at this time which are well worth visiting. Here is our pick of some of our favourites.
Photographic notes Luigi Ferrignoā€™s Venice at the Querini Stampalia Foundation until 1 April 2024
An opportunity to view Venice through this uniquely organic lense. Ferrigno presents Venice stripped of its postcard stereotypes, contradicting its tradtional world view with real-life moments captured in time.
Bar Stories on Camera, at Galleria Campari, Milan until 30 April, 2024
An anthology of phtographs which tell the story of the ‘Bar’ from the 1930s to the turn of the century. Pieces from Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr and Ferdinando Scianna make up this collection along with images from Archivio Storico Galleria Campari.
Escher at Palazzo Bonaparte, Rome, until 1 April, 2024
Billed as the largest exhibtion of his work to date, a stunning exhibition of over 300 pieces from this world renowned graphic artist including the iconic Hand with reflecting sphere, Bond of Union, Metamorphosis II, and Day and Night.
Remember to take a look at our Top Villas in Italy for Easter 2024. As always, get in touch with the Bookings For You team so we can help you plan your perfect holiday in Italy at Easter.