Easter, Holy Week, the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, vivid, evocative and emotionally charged rituals that are highly felt, awaited and participated in throughout the province of Ragusa. Faith, folklore and tradition come together and the Baroque setting makes the celebrations even more fascinating, attracting faithful and tourists alike.
Choosing the province of Ragusa and particularly the Baroque Land during the Easter holidays means experiencing a load of emotions but also discovering World Heritage monuments, and being tempted by a journey in taste, between sweet and savory.
Holy Week in Ispica
Absolutely to be experienced is “Holy Week in Ispica,” the main among religious festivals, a real treasure for the Hispanic community, with a calendar of events taking place between March 31 and April 9. The celebrations involve the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata and their respective Confraternities, which come together to celebrate the passion of Christ, and have been repeated unchanged for hundreds of years. The origins of the cult of Christ at the Pillar and Christ with the Cross are lost in time and have their roots in the ancient Spaccaforno, the city’s fortress, located in the canyon of Cava Ispica. A special atmosphere stirs the festivities, and the rituals, moving and charged with emotion. A characteristic element is the use of wax anatomorphic votive offerings, which represent an act of devotion suggestive in the worship of the two Christs of Ispica. Between the aisles of the Basilica of St. Mary Major as well as the Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation are hung with red and blue ribbons: heads, feet, arms, breasts, baby dolls, to which are added the first fruits and fruits of the earth; a sign of the faithful’s gratitude for their harvest.
Madonna Vasa Vasa in Modica
Unmissable and ancient important rite of Holy Week is that of the “Madonna Vasa Vasa” in Modica. It is the celebration of Easter. Each year thousands of visitors warmly participate in the passage down Corso Umberto of the statue of Our Lady, who, mourning the death of her son Jesus, is gathered in a black cloak. From the opposite direction the ferculum of the statue of the resurrected Jesus also arrives in procession. The moment of the encounter, the abandoned black mantle, the embrace and the three “kisses” of Our Lady to her Risen Christ Son mark the most awaited moment of the festivities, and the warmth of Mary’s embrace envelops everyone present.
“U Gioia” in Scicli
Also the city of Scicli celebrates Easter with one of Sicily’s most beautiful rituals: “U Gioia“. Resurrection is an enveloping celebration that unfolds within a colorful atmosphere. Devotees carry in procession the statue of the Risen Christ, called “u Gioia,” or “Uomu Vivu,” by the Sciclitani, a true hymn to joy that in a frenetic rhythm literally makes the statue “dance” among the many faithful in continuous and evocative spins. A river procession that never ends and throughout the day takes the simulacrum everywhere.
Ragusa
Ragusa, too, offers a fascinating program for Holy Week. The Friday before Palm Sunday is the day of the ancient ritual of Friday of Our Lady of Sorrows, with the traditional “Week of Our Lady of Sorrows,” which sees the faithful gather at the Church of St. James to address prayers and supplications to the Mother of Sorrows. And for Palm Sunday, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Ragusa, is organizing a Living Stations of the Cross at 4 p.m.
Easter in Baroque Land
The different religious traditions in the province of Ragusa offer an opportunity to discover the peculiarities of each city and to live an intense and moving spiritual experience. A religious and cultural heritage that is repeated from year to year, enriching and enriching, fascinating expressing passion, history, folklore. Processions and rituals also take place in Santa Croce Camerina with the exit of the simulacra on Good Friday and the long-awaited singing of the gloria at midnight on the eve, which is followed by the festive bells and the Eucharistic celebration at night.
But Easter in Baroque Land is also a feast for the palate. Extraordinary delicacies are prepared for the occasion. In Ragusa the “impanate” of lamb (but also turkey or chicken) and also the “turciniuna,” succulent rolls of lamb entrails and onion, are very good. In Modica the meat “pastizzi” are of absolute goodness. And then again the Turk’s Heads in Scicli, traditional for the Feast of the Militia, but now a year-round dessert, full of cream to share with friends. Noteworthy, somewhat in all municipalities, are the ricotta cassatelle, with the chocolate variant or with the addition of cinnamon. Really good. And so what are you waiting for to come and spend an extraordinary vacation?
