There isn’t a better time to explore Italy than Easter. The Italians mark the most important religious holiday – the Pasqua – with week-long celebrations, with rites beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday.
On holiday to Puglia during the Holy Week
If you’re wondering which part of Italy to visit during the Easter celebrations, consider heading for Puglia. Though not as popular as Naples or Sicily, Puglia has as much – and even more – to offer in terms of celebrations and religious rites. With its stunning nature and number of picturesque towns, Puglia province provides one of the most authentic experiences of the traditional Easter celebrations.
Photo: courtesy of ‘La Settimana Santa a Gallipoli’
Taranto Processions on Palm Sunday
The most famous rites take place in Taranto. On Palm Sunday, the local fraternal orders bid on an auction and the winner receives the honor of carrying the statues of Christ during the Holy Friday procession. Dressed in white robes and fully hooded, the members of the procession carry the statues barefoot around the city until dawn.
Salento Area: The Lent Festival
If you’re looking for interesting traditions while on holiday in Puglia, head straight for the village of Salento to take part in the “La Quaremma”, or Lent. At the end of the carnival, a puppet will be hung from the town’s balconies and terraces. It depicts a witch, holding an orange, which will then be struck by seven feathers, symbolizing the seven-week period of the Lent. Every week, local residents will remove one feather and when Easter Sunday comes, the puppet will be burnt on a pole, symbolizing the Resurrection. The town of Salento also has much to offer in terms of local Easter sweets such as the delicious dove-shaped doughnuts, known as “scarcella”.
City of Molfetta for the theatrical reenactment of the Passion of Christ
One of the best places to experience the unique and authentic Easter celebrations is the seaside of Puglia and the city of Molfetta, in particular. The celebrations begin on Tuesday with a theatrical reenactment of the Passion of Christ and each scene takes part in a different historical area of the city. On Thursday, you can gather with the local people around the Sepulchers, temporary structures that simulate the place of Christ’s burial around the altars in the church.
San Marco “Fracchie” Procession
If you’re looking for the best religious rite to see on Good Friday, visit the city of San Marco in the north of Puglia. The townspeople will split a number of cone-shaped tree trunks in two and fill them with splinters and dry branches, turning them into long torches ready for the procession. You can join the ‘Fracchie’ procession as the torches light up the way for the Madonna Addolorata procession on Good Friday.
So book your flights, sort out your accommodation and head to Puglia for a truly authentic and exciting Easter break. If you are looking to rent a villa in Puglia, Aria Journeys has a bespoke collection of trulli and farmhouse villas that are both family friendly and perfectly located for seeing all the sights.