EASTER, HOLY WEEK, WITH ITS TRADITIONS

This is one of the most significant and iconic periods for the city of Marsala. It's possible to witness centuries-old events that draw thousands of faithful and tourists, making Holy Week in Marsala an unmissable event in the city's religious and cultural landscape.

• Thursday - Performance of the "Passion of Christ"
• Friday - "Holy Friday Procession"
  
  

APRIL 2, 2026

THURSDAY HOLY PROCESSION OF THE LIVING MYSTERIES

The Holy Thursday Representation of the "Living Mysteries" the oldest processions in Italy, the origins go back to the 13th century and deriving from theatrical performances, both silent and spoken, that were already performed in the Middle Ages.

The procession will depart from the Parish of Sant'Anna at 12:30, and the main streets of Marsala's city center will be transformed into a theater.

Scenes from the Passion of Christ are represented by eight groups of actors in period costumes adorned with gold and jewels, who play evangelical characters and recount the final hours of Jesus Christ's life.

The most significant acts representing the various stages of the drama of the final hours of Jesus Christ's life are:

• The red banner with the initials S.P.Q.R. and the hooded men
• Jesus with the apostles and Judas
• The capture of Jesus
• Jesus by Herod
• Jesus wearing the white chlamys
• Jesus, Ecce Homo with Pilate
• Jesus with the cross
• Christ Crucified

One of the most particular characteristics is that these are actors who stage by acting out images that seem real from that epoch.

APRIL 3, 2026

HOLY FRIDAY PROCESSION

The representation of grief over the loss of a child.

On Holy Friday, the statue of the Madonna Addolorata is carried in procession through the streets of Marsala's center, accompanied by confraternities, civil and military authorities, and numerous faithful.

It's a less spectacular procession than the one on Holy Thursday; there are no actors wearing traditional costumes, but it's the most popular.

The citizens' emotion and empathy for the grief of a mother who has lost a child reach an almost tangible level of emotional involvement, so much so that every participant, from the highest officials of the city to the most ordinary people, almost seems to cry in unison with the grieving mother.

The statue of the Madonna was created in the late 1700s by an unknown officer, skilled in wood carving, while Priest Donato completed the work with the painting and the papier-mâché tunic and cloak. In the late 1800s, it was felt necessary to protect the statue with a gold-embroidered silk cloak.