Holy Week processions in Sorrento

On the Thursday and Friday of the week before Easter, Sorrento lives through moments of intense devotion, rooted in a popular faith handed down from generation to generation over the centuries. Processions recalling the Passion of Christ wind through the town's streets: hundreds of faithful walk in long robes, white on Thursday and black on Friday, their faces hidden by hoods, carrying torches, banners and the martìri, the symbols of the Passion.

The confraternities

The processions are organised by the confraternities, lay associations led by a spiritual director, which date back to the Middle Ages. Sorrento has two: the Arciconfraternita della Morte (Archconfraternity of Death), which has absorbed that of San Catello, and the Arciconfraternita di Santa Monica.

The white procession of Santa Monica crosses the centre during the night between Thursday and Friday, setting out from the church of the Annunziata; on the evening of Good Friday it is the turn of the black procession of the Arciconfraternita della Morte, which escorts the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Dead Christ. Routes, statues and chants are described in detail on our page about traditions and events in Sorrento.

Centuries of charity

Over the centuries the confraternities did not confine themselves to religious celebrations but took on many charitable tasks. The Confraternity of San Catello, for example, was responsible for accompanying condemned prisoners to the scaffold, arranging their burial and burying those who died at sea. Another important area was that of the maritaggi: each brother paid a small sum and alms were collected to build up a modest fund to help poor girls who wished to marry. Even today the confraternities provide moral and material support to those in need.

Tips for attending

• The processions are religious rites: keep silent as they pass and avoid using flash.
• Times and routes can change from year to year: check them with the diocese and the town council.
• The week before Easter is in high demand: book your accommodation early.
• Holy Week opens with Palm Sunday and the tradition of the sugared almond palms.