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The Holy Friday

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THE ANNUNCIATED FEAST THE SEPULCHERS THE HOLY FRIDAY TYPICAL DISHES TYPICAL SWEETS

The Traditions of Holy Week

The procession of the Holy Friday

A centuries-old tradition that comes back to life every year with religiosity and emotion

The procession of the Holy Friday, one of the religious manifestations more complex and archaic, recurs every year. The tortuous streets of Bronte that become a big stage in which, with intense, deeply felt religiosity, is played the Passion and the Death of Christ. Always intense and spontaneous is the collective participation supported by strong emotions and religious feelings.

It dates back to past centuries but traditionally it is still and always lived with the mind concentrated on the religious drama, with the intense and spontaneous collective participation, accompanied by strong emotions and a deep Christian feeling.

The Brontesi and the numerous strangers who gather together along the main course and in the other streets covered by the procession, relive each year with religiousness and emotion always new emotions and inner situations.

Already from the morning, rigorous to an old popular proverb (“u vènniri non si canta canzùni, ca si pensa a la motti e a la passiùni”) everywhere is silence, do not sing and do not laugh, the bells do not ring because they were « related »on Thursday.

As a sign of sadness, only the woody sound of the "tròccola" (see photo on other page) and the drums can be heard.

In the first afternoon of every Holy Friday, the narrow country town streets get slowly crowded with believers that in bare feet carry candles, ancient confraternities with their flags (black edged) and the crucifixes adorned with the first fruits of the earth, of statues representing the passion of Christ, of altar boys, of figures and personages, singles or in groups, everyone with a precise part to play.

With the same devotion and the faith of every year, the procession goes on with a centuries old direction and itinerary that, except some very small adjustment, have been handed down by our ancestors.


In the sacred representation, everyone plays their part with fervor and devotion and, among the crowd and the swaying of the statues, they slowly proceed through the narrow streets of the ancient neighborhoods of Bronte from early afternoon until late evening. The procession is preceded in the church by a liturgical ceremony during which the curious and archaic rite of the "earthquake" is performed: the clergy and the faithful beat their hands and feet for a few seconds on the backs and platforms of the pews, producing a sound that recalls the sinister sound of earthquakes.


The narrow streets of the town of Bronte are slowly filled with the faithful who barefoot carry candles, with ancient brotherhoods with their banners (banded in mourning) and crucifixes adorned with the first fruits of the earth, with altar boys, with figures and statues representing the passion of Christ, with extras and characters, single or in groups, each with a very specific part to play. The Cyrenian and Saint Michael the Archangel who, with a measured step, proceeds to the rhythm of the drum, are usually represented by children of 7 - 8 years old.

The procession beginss

The sacred representation begins at around four o'clock in the church of the Madonna del Riparo with the exit of the first statue: Christ burdened on the cross.

A little further, in the Capuchin Church, joins in the urn with the Christ Dead, followed by the confraternity of the Third Order of San Francesco (founded in the year 1863).

Along Corso Umberto join the procession from San Silvestro's church, the confraternity of Maria SS. della Misericordia (instituted in the far 1616) and, from the Church of Maria SS. della Catena, that of S. Carlo Borromeo.

Gradually the participation of the devout believers and of the personages becomes ever larger.

In a following one another of parts of an only act, in every church a new multitude joins the procession, that become at the end the complete representation of the passion of Christ.

About one hour after starting, in front of the Church of Matrice, get into the procession the statue of the Madonna Addolorata, the various personages of the passion and the confraternity of the SS. Sacramento (one of the more ancient, about 1600).

The procession proceeds till Gagini square: from the church of the Annunciated with the statue of Christ tied to the Column and the confraternity of Jesus and Mary (1700).

The sacred representation is now complete

The composition of the procession is now complete.

Everyone plays their part with fervor and devotion and, among the crowd and the swaying of the statues, they slowly continue through the narrow streets of the ancient neighborhoods of Bronte.

The procession winds through the crowded streets of the historic center, retracing, in the tortuous and narrow streets, with a sequence of scenes, symbols and religious representations, all the most dramatic moments of the Passion of Christ.

The fèrcoli with the statues and crucifixes of the five brotherhoods are decorated with the typical products of the season (traditionally broad beans).

The sacred representation begins with the brotherhoods that parade according to the date of their foundation.
That of Mercy, the third Franciscan order, then that of Jesus and Mary and of San Carlo and finally the brotherhood of the SS. Sacramento; this is joined by that of the priests under the title of San Pietro and Paolo.
For the occasion, the members of each brotherhood do not wear traditional clothes but, as a sign of mourning, only a black cap; as a sign of participation in the death of Christ, even the flags are black.

The priests do not wear liturgical vestments but simply participate with the cassock carrying a crucifix in turn.

They are followed by a large group of altar boys from the various parishes and the small seminary and 30 veiled girls dressed in white.

Each of them is entrusted with an object that finds precise reference in the evangelical tradition of the Passion and the liturgy.

They carry and show all the symbols of the Passion (a palm, the chalice, the cross, the hammer and nails, the sponge, the ladder, the lance, the sheet of the Shroud, and other liturgical objects).

Some carry flowers and palms blessed the previous Sunday or the objects of the Passion itself made with biscuit dough and the previous evening (Holy Thursday) brought to church to be blessed and decorate the "Sepulchres".

After the group of veiled young girls, comes Saint Michael the Archangel (traditionally represented by a seven-eight year old boy, dressed according to the iconographic schemes of the Archangel Gabriel) who proceeds slowly, with a complicated and measured step marked by the monotonous rhythm of a drum.

Behind them are an Angel carrying the chalice of the Passion and the Apostles (excluding Judas), dressed in period costumes and with their heads bowed covered by a wig.

Then are depicted the Christ tied and dragged by the violence of the Roman soldiers, the Christ, bent, who carries the cross helped by the little Cyrenian.
They proceed with slow steps, marked by ruinous falls. The two figures of Christ are members of two families who pass down the vow and devotion from father to son and wear their faces covered and their feet bare, as a sign of penitence.

The representation proceeds at a slow pace, marked by the falls of Christ and the runs of the soldiers.

The three "pious women" (wearing large black dresses, their faces covered by long, natural hair, grown for years and cared for as a vow), the local clergy, all the authorities, the brotherhoods and associations and all the people of Bronte parade in religious silence.



Some moments of the Procession: the measured step of Saint Michael the Archangel who proceeds to the rhythm of a drum; the Jews and the apostles; Christ chained between the Roman soldiers led to the Sanhedrin before Pilate and while he carries the cross at the end of which are placed the "first fruits" of the earth (beans and peas). See in this regard Le fave del Venerdì Santo (The beans of Good Friday). Generally the procession develops according to the following order: the five brotherhoods; the mysteries; the apostles; the soldiers with the Christ tied and dragged by the violence of the Roman soldiers and the bent Christ who carries the cross helped by the little Cyrenian, the pious women; the Catholic men; the authorities; the altar boys; the Clergy; the four statues.

The statues

Lastly, the four magnificent statues of “Christ at the Column”, the Crucifix, the Sorrowful Madonna and the “Dead Christ” parade, carried on the shoulders of a group of faithful volunteers, who loudly invoke divine grace in the most sincere Bronte dialect.

The sacred images, adorned with flowers, with the first fruit of the season, stay over long wooden poles and are carried on the shoulders by hundreds of believers, (many come back on purpose to Bronte for this traditional devotion).

The crowd of believers that follow every single statue, (many of them bare feet) interrupts the passing, one after another of the scenes: (Christ to the column, the Crucifix, the urn with the body, the Grieved Lady), giving some pause to the intense emotion that touches everybody's hearth.

The religious silence and the prayers are interrupted by the shouts of the persons that carry on their shoulders the statues: under the Christ to the Column or the Addolorata (Grieved Lady) there are over eighty people, with no shoes, tightly pressed one against the other, carrying the sacred images.

They chant with white handkerchiefs raised in unison and continuously invoke in a loud voice, in the most traditional Bronte dialect, the divine graces:

– "E chiamammu a Diu chi Diu ci aiuta!", (let's call God for his help)

– "E chiamammuru tutti cu na vuci ata!", (let's call him all with one voice)

– "E chistu è u veru padri ri puvirelli!",
(this is the true father of poor people)

– "E cu cchiù beni la voli cchiu forti la chiama!", (and who loves her more, more strongly calls her)

– "E chiamammura ccu veru cori!" (and let's call her with our true heart).

IL CRISTO MORTO To a solo voice, all answer together, rising a white cloth with the only free arm,
– "Viva a misericordia di Diu!" (long live God's mercy!!)
– "Viva ‘a Madonna addolurata!", (long live the Grieved Lady)

nearly competing to whom can shout louder to honor Christ and the Madonna.

The procession pauses in Piazza Spedalieri (Spedalieri square, the place of all civic feasts and manifestations ) where the statues meet, are aligned and put on trestles.

The bearers, the devout actors that represent Christ find a moment's rest in their huge exertion. Then everybody starts again to go along Corso Umberto for the return.


The statues parade until late at night. The Christ at the Column shows a life-size Christ with his hands tied behind his back to a column. It represents the Flagellated Savior in a very realistic way. The statue is made of papier-mâché, but popular legend has it that it is made of wood, made by a shepherd from Bronte to whom, three days after finishing the statue, Christ appeared in a dream and died of joy with the promise of paradise. The Christ at the Column is carried on the shoulders of men who walk without shoes. It is preserved in the church of the SS. Trinità (Matrice).


Until a few years ago, the wonderful Crucifix from the church of S. Silvestro, now placed on the main altar, was also carried in procession; but to avoid any danger to the precious statue, the ancient crucifix was replaced with a copy.

The climax of the feast

The most emotional moment of the entire representation took place until 2003 in the church of the Matrix (SS. Trinità) when in the midst of an overflowing crowd that filled the church in every corner, the evangelical meeting between Jesus and his Mother was relived on the way of the cross.

The statues of Christ at the column and of the Crucifix intersected in the nave of the church with Our Lady of Sorrows, while the traditional song of the "Stabat Mater" arose among the invocations of the devotees under the statues. Thousands of people were present who lived this moment with emotion and who could hardly resist a few tears.

Since 2004, to everyone's amazement and disbelief, the "meeting" for obvious security reasons was moved first to Piazza Spedalieri and subsequently to the square in front of the Sanctuary of the Annunziata.

We move towards the end of the procession with the sermon in Piazza Gagini in front of the four statues and a very large number of faithful.

Afterwards, each of the three statues returns to its own church.

During the re-entry of the statues in the various churches, towards midnight, is also touching the stop of the Crucifix and of the Dead Christ in front of the Catena church, with the sad singing of the traditional "Popule meus".

Unfortunately, the traditional poly vocal repertory of the Holy week is gradually becoming ever poorer. Without the natural rotation of elderly voices with those of younger generations has been irremediably lost.
It is a grave cultural loss; the young generations have not been able to pick up and keep a tradition handed down to us by our ancestors in the course of centuries.

Having failed, in fact, in these last two years, the group of elderly cantors (of the confraternity of the SS. Sacramento) that followed the procession and in the precise ritual moment of the itinerary, started to chant the so called "I Lamenti" (laments).

Were suggestive chants completely incomprehensible because of the many transformations that the words have undergone since.

They used to recall ancient verses of the "Vassillo", of the "Via Crucis" and of the "Stabat Mater" ("Batti e ‘Mmatri").

It has also failed, but for some years before the Second World War, the representation of Christ called "Ecce Homo" with the participation in the procession of the penitents of the Flagellant Company, linked to the altar of Christ at the Column.

Christ was stripped of his clothes and covered with a red cloak followed by the "flagellanti" or public penitents who, during the procession, beat their shoulders to the blood with chains.
Penance was practiced for about seven years to be freed from the seven deadly sins and hence from eternal damnation.

I «LAMENTI» (The laments, solo voice Alfio Greco)

The Last "Encounter"

Until 2003, the procession, after having finally traveled the Corso Umberto, returned in the evening to the inside of the church of the Matrice (SS. Trinità) and here, in an impressive crowd of faithful and curious onlookers, the sacred representation reached its culminating and most emotional moment.

In the midst of an overflowing crowd, the statues entered the church and, crossing each other in the large central nave, simulated, between the movement and the shouts of the statue bearers, the evangelical meeting between Jesus and his Mother on the way of the cross.
Between prayers, shouts, invocations, songs, pushing, crowding to the point of absurdity, but still with deep emotion, no one wanted to miss the most emotional moment of the procession. Moments that have remained imprinted in the memory and in the hearts of the people of Bronte who were lucky enough to attend them and that we present again in these photos.

For obvious security reasons, the centuries-old tradition has disappeared since 2004: to everyone's disappointment and disbelief, the «l'incontro» was first moved to Piazza Spedalieri and since 2009, at the end of the procession, to the square in front of the Santuario dell'Annunziata (in the photos on the right and below, the last "meeting" in the church of the Matrice amidst indescribable chaos and with people standing up even on the altars to watch).

«…There is no town in Sicily where the Passion of Christ is not revived through a real representation, where living people or groups of statues do not make the streets and squares the theater of that great drama whose elements are betrayal, murder, a mother's pain.
But is it really the drama of the son of God made man that is revived, in Sicilian towns, on Good Friday?
Or is it not instead the drama of man, simply man, betrayed by his neighbor, murdered by the law? Or, ultimately, is it not even this, and is it only the drama of a mother, the drama of the Addolorata?
Undoubtedly, in these representations, one feels that more than Christ himself it is the figure of Mary of Sorrows that strikes and moves. Christ, from the moment of his capture, is already in death.
And the dead man is dead, as is said in all the proverbs that advise peace, resignation, silence. But the mother is alive: grieving, enclosed in the black cloak of pain, pierced, moaning; image and symbol of all mothers. The real drama is hers: earthly, carnal. Not the drama, therefore, of divine sacrifice and human redemption; but that of the pain of living, of the dark visceral dismay in the face of death, of the closed and perennial mourning of the living.»

[Leonardo Sciascia, La corda pazza, scrittori e cose di Sicilia, Adelfi Edizioni, Milan 1991, pag. 227]

SEE ALSO:

Photos by Rosalba Proto & Dario Audisio | Venerdì Santo Good Friday by Giuseppe Cimbali | Le fave del Venerdì Santo (Good Friday beans

Translated by Sam Di Bella

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