The Mysterious Easter Traditions in Taranto
Easter in Italy is celebrated with some rather strange traditions and celebrations. Like the mysterious processions in Taranto on Friday before Easter.
It is almost impossible to find a parking space in Taranto in the early evening of Venerdi Santo the Friday before Easter. Even the Lungomare is crammed with cars, and we end up half way in San Vito, before we spot some empty curb. Still, it’s a nice walk back to the centre of the city, while a huge red sun sets over the sea with anchored ships and container cranes in silhouette.
Hours of Anticipation
In the pedestrian streets, people are already lined up in anticipation of the annual spectacle. Positions are won with a push and a squeeze, strangers chat and joke, and four generation families stand around in look-alike clusters. For hours. First when it has gone properly dark a hush goes through the crowd, you crane your neck to get a glimpse of what might be coming but still see nothing. These kinds of events test the patience.
A Three Legged Ghost.
Then an eerie rattling noise can be heard above the din. It’s the troccola – a board instrument sounding like the pebbles hurled after Christ on his way to the cross. This is one of the details unique for Taranto. Nearby towns like Grottaglie and Francavilla Fontana have different rites and slightly different costumes, while the town Oria specialised in Bible reenactments.
The rattling is accompanied by a funeral march, and finally a man carrying a cross with some strange symbols on the cross bar appears. He is unmasked and his naked feet perform a weird little dance flicking the instep for every slow step forward. He is followed by pairs of perdoni or pilgrims hoping to be absolved from their sins. Their faces are hidden behind a white hood with only two tiny pin pricks, where the eyes should be. They walk as if they are joined at the shoulder and the hip, swaying from side to side as a three legged ghost.
No Waiting for the Black Madonna
The procession goes on for hours, and at the end they are bringing the heavy statues around.
Strong men in funny clothes take turns shoulding a suffering Jesus and other scenes from the testaments, but this time I don’t wait around for the Black Madonna. She won’t appear until midnight, when a different kind of motor driven procession will take over and fill the streets with a most unholy traffic jam.
I can see why you like Italy so much, especially at Easter. I would come to see the costumes as well, but would probably pass on waiting until midnight for the Black Madonna.
Wow, I know what you mean with the ‘eerie.’ Those costumes are very strange. would love to witness it all though, it’s certainly a spectacle!
Julia
The hooded men look interesting, though slightly ominous. I think I prefer our way of celebrating Easter: 10 days off work/school, mostly spent outdoors, skiing, eating oranges and marzipan eggs, and – for some peculiar reason no one really knows – read crime books or watch crime series on TV.
I like the Nordic tradition of doing nothing much as well. We must surely be among the most pious people in the world with 5 public holidays to meditate in celebration of Easter.
Actually the procession goes on all night! My husband’s family is from Taranto and live on the main square of the area you were taking photos in. We have often watched the processions from their balcony!
I think it goes on all night from Thursday to Friday. But after the great procession Friday evening it stops.
Very interesting! I did not know about this tradition. Thanks for sharing.
It’s impossible to keep track of all the Easter traditions in Italy. The change from one town to the next, which means with 10 km intervals in some places.
I was born and bred in Taranto. These traditions were passed on from the era of spanish occupation in south and west of Italy. Different localities have adopted somewhat different
approach. In Spain is also celebrated in a big way.
Interesting that the Easter traditions in Taranto and elsewhere in South Italy came with the Spaniards, and I can see the similarities. I would think some of the traditions were older than the Spanish occupation.
But exactly when please i need to know the datas
Thanks
The pilgrims depart from Chiesa di Maria Santissima del Monte Carmelo (on the pedestrianized shopping street) on Maundy Thursday March 29, 2018, and walk around to all the churches in the city. They start in the afternoon and depart at regular intervals in order to be finished by midnight. At midnight there’s a procession called Processione della Madonna Addolorata from Chiesa di San Domenico and they keep walking for 14 hours. Then there is a 1 hour break before the grand Processione dei Misteri starts at 3 pm on Good Friday (March 30, 2018). This procession goes on and on for 15 hours until 7 am Saturday morning. In other words: You cannot miss the Easter traditions, if you are in Taranto by the end of next week.