Pictures of Easter in Italy
The Holy Week is a period packed with local rites and traditions, as these pictures of Easter in Italy seek to show.
I’ve written about Easter in Italy before. About the mysterious traditions in Puglian cities like Taranto and Francavilla Fontana. About the procession of living statues in Orsogna in Abruzzo. About the Easter passion enactment in Oria. And the blessed olive branch in Urbino in Le Marche. Still. there is no end to the many different ways in which these holidays are marked and celebrated through out Italy.
A Permanent Source of Fascination
To a cultural Christian protestant these Easter traditions remain a permanent source of fascination, and I keep discovering new signs with unknown depths of meaning. Like the blessed olive branches people take home from church on Palm Sunday. The giant chocolate eggs, dove shaped colomba cakes and hard boiled eggs in puddiche pastry offered as hospitality gifts. Not to mention the highly bizarre or equivocal rites and processions performed throughout the country.
Pictures of Easter traditions and processions encountered throughout Italy
If you like to experience some of the ancient traditions that have survived locally for centuries and see Italy from a spiritual side, there is no better time to visit than during Easter.
Pappamusci in Francavilla Fontana coordinating their walk on the steps of one of the churches they visit.
Great pictures…
It’s fascinating to see how holidays are celebrated in other countries! Do you know why the people have their faces covered?
From what I’ve been told, the penitents cover their faces because they are not supposed to take pride in their sacrifice or share their good deeds publicly.
What a great and varied collage for Easter. You had me at giant chocolate eggs – that’s my kind of gift. I have always wanted to spend Easter at the Vatican and Rome but I’m not sure I can handle the crowds.
I’m not sure I can handle the Easter crowds in Rome either. Or the chocolate eggs for that matter. They are larger here than anything I’ve ever seen in Northern Europe.
It’s interesting and a bit strange, the religious element. That’s all but vanished up here in the secular north, hasn’t it… Easter here is all about skiing, and reading crime, and more skiing. And chocolate/marzipan-eggs, of course :)
It is strange. Especially as we in Scandinavia seem to have a longer Easter holiday, than people in more religious countries.
A nice photo coverage. I’ve never seen the covered faces on Easter… Bizarre and very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. The covered faces are quite common in Italy and Spain around Easter.
Very interesting! I live in Northern Italy and Italians don’t do the same here. I’ve never seen the covered faces and we have a different dessert – a panetone – that is sort of like a lighter pound cake filled with lemon cream.
Thank you for the input. I’ve only ever spent Easter in the south, but I’m sure it’s really different in other parts of the country. Except for the blessed olive branches which we have received as far north as Urbino.
Intriguing photos! Very interesting to see how the same holidays are celebrated differently across the world. Thanks for sharing!
True. I’m amazed by the differences in traditions from one village in Italy to the next.
Easter has started creeping into this area of Turkey these days with some of the pastanes realising they can make a few kuruş here and there, selling chocolate eggs to foreign customers. :) The Italian traditions definitely seem to keep to the religious element…and I’ve got to say, it all looks a bit spooky. :)
Julia
We are caught in a bit of an unholy paradox in this respect as well, coming from a secular country with a state church, 4 public holidays around Easter and no religious traditions what-so-ever, and to Italy were people of all ages and all walks of life participate in the religious ceremonies. It does, however, seem as if the interest for doing penitance walks has waned. The number of pappamusci have definitely decreased.