While Covid-19 has disrupted lives around the world, it is particularly difficult for many during this religious time of year, including Italians, who have had to forego centuries of Easter traditions. From small villages to large cities, processions featuring lifelike (and extremely heavy) “ floats” depicting scenes from the Passion are carried out by the locals.
Each year, the city of Cortona sponsors the Procession of Good Friday, beginning at 9 PM from the Church of Santo Spirito. It winds its way up, around and through the steep streets of the town and ends in Piazza Repubblica, with ceremonial prayers. These photos are from the 2017 procession.
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
©blogginginitaly.com
The Misteri di Trapani (Mysteries of Trapani) is a day-long Passion procession featuring twenty floats of lifelike sculptures of individual scenes of the events of the Passion. The Misteri are amongst the oldest continuously running religious events in Europe, having been played every Good Friday since before the Easter of 1612, and running for 16-24+ continuous hours. They are the longest religious festival in Italy.
The small balcony from our room at the Badia Nuova hotel offered a perfect view of the 2016 procession.
©blogginginitlay.com
In the days before the procession, people were busy attending to final touches of the platforms.
©blogginginitlay.com
©blogginginitlay.com
If you study the configuration of the men’s arms, you can begin to imagine the weight of the platforms.
©blogginginitlay.com
©blogginginitlay.com
©blogginginitlay.com
©blogginginitlay.com
Here are two short videos I took that represents the tone and mood of the procession. The swaying is part of the pageantry, and the clapper you hear is what is used to stop and start the movement of the platforms, which happens about every 30 to 50 feet.
Hoping that next year, these traditions resume as expected, along with so many others around the world. In the meantime,
Buona Pasqua, Happy Easter,
Stay Safe, and Be Well!
Ciao,
Judy
Original 2016 post with videos is linked below
https://blogginginitaly.com/2016/03/27/misteri-trapani/
Blogging In Italy 
Ciao cari Amici.
Buona Pasqua!
Quest’ anno niente processione.
Un abbraccio
Fernanda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Grazie e un abbraccio forte a te! Buona Pasqua!!
LikeLike
Happy Easter to you and your family..💚 and thank you for this…a fascinating look at special Italian traditions!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Maureen, happy Easter to you and your family as well!
LikeLike
Happy Easter😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
And the same to you!
LikeLike
This is so great !! Thanks Judy !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you liked it!
LikeLike
That is beautiful! Every time you mention a new place I have to look it up on the map.
Last Easter Sunday we had Easter lunch with Lapo and Paola and later had coffee with you and Len before we left.
Strange how this past year has passed so quickly but now each day seems like a year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember our time together last Easter. Let’s hope we can repeat that next year!
LikeLike
Quite inspiring The video’s brought the audience right to the action. A great perspective. Thank you. Happy Easter!
________________________________
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Royce, and a very Happy Easter to you!
LikeLike
My Husband and I were talking about all the changes COVID-19 brought to our lives and what we missed and cultural gatherings is a big one. We hope to see this in person next year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, life is so different now. We too hope that these gatherings will eventually be normal once again. Thanks for writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person