L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE ROCHELLE DEL BORRELLO T he Eas ter celebra- tions of Sicily are as numerous as petals on daisy chains, with an endless proces- sion of Holy Week festivities to choose from. Every small town has its Via Crucis which reenacts the final moments of J es us Christ's life on Good Friday. The whole week from Palm Sun- day to Easter Day is filled with many variations, in different col- ors according to the island's his- torical and cultural influences. The magic of Easter in Sicily comes from traditions which are adhered to with great love, pas- sion and dedication by all Sicil- ians. Easter is an even bigger celebration than Christmas all over Italy in general, as it repre- s ents the promis e of a new beginning. The celebrations start with the intricately woven palm fronds blessed for Palm Sunday, the week reaches a dramatic cli- max with passion performances and ends with the consumption of delicate marzipan sculptured lambs or picureddi, breads and biscuits decorated with dyed eggs, traditional dishes and end- less desserts. In each of Sicily's Easter cel- ebrations there are many reoc- curring symbols repeating them- s elves in every tow n in an intriguing mixture of theatre and tradition. At the centre of many religious processions are the Misteri, statues which depict the Passion of Christ. Side by side w ith the artw orks , there are objects like spears, hammers and a crown of thorns in an extended religious metaphor, like an elab- orate Mystery play from the Middle Ages filled with reli- gious allegory. The crucifix is very much at the centre of the Easter story for obvious reasons, as a physical representation of the death of Jesus. Many places on the isle have elaborate life sized cruci- fixes which allow the figure of Jesus Christ to be physically taken off the cross to be placed inside a transparent glass coffin. In Sicily, there is an underlying need for tangible images and props in the retelling of the Pas- sion. which gives the feast days of Easter a particular emotional intensity. One of the most recognizable characters in the theatre of a Sicilian Easter are the hooded masked members of the confra- ternities, who carry the heavy historical statues and crucifixes in their religious tunics and rep- resent the faithful community. The sinister looking masked Incappuciati are the central char- acters of Enna's Easter celebra- tion, which dates back to the Spanish period in Sicily from the fifteenth and seventeenth cen- turies. The male only members of the fifteen various local con- fraternities participate in well organized processions, prayers and worship in the local cathe- dral. This manifestation, together with similar celebrations in the provinces of Caltanissetta and Enna, are at Sicily's geographi- cal and traditional heart. The symbolism of Easter in Sicily is a mixture of Medieval, Orthodox, Greek and pre-Christ- ian elements. Intertwined with the performances is the aural ele- ment, with a strong focus on cer- tain religious songs and prayers. The laments or lamentanze are suggestive ancient elegies recited during the performances in a mixture of Latin and local dialects. Many towns will unveil old canvases representing the Pas- sion and crucifixion of Christ. In a truly iconic gesture which reflects a Medieval focus on a visual depiction of the Bible, the Velatio or tele della passione are unfurled to physically show the central protagonist of the story. As with most things in Sicily, Easter is not simply a religious celebration, but is also tinged with pagan elements. The Diavolata at Adrano, the Ballo dei diavoli at Prizzi and the Giudei of San Fratello all feature mischevious, rowdy masked men and devilish characters, each with their own distinct costumes. Adrano's Diavolata, in the province of Catania, consists of the performance of an ancient religious play, written in 1728 by a local religious brother and acts out the eternal battle between good and evil. The focus is the struggle between several differ- ent devils and St Michael the Archangel, who not only man- ages to defeat them after the res- urrection. but also gets the devils to praise the Madonna and God. At the apex of this collection of grotesque characters in Sici- ly's Santa Pasqua are the Giudei from the hilltop town of San Fratello, deep in the province of Messina. These flocks of hooded, brightly dressed men take over the vil- lage and disturb the solemn funeral procession of Good Fri- day afternoon. The Giudei are a part of Sici- ly's history, in all of their colour, practical jokes and loud trumpet playing. The costumes are handed down from father to son, in the bright red of a pseudo military style, complete with elaborate helmets, bright yellow stripes, lapels and intricate bead- ing, they are living breathing works of art. One of the most elaborate processions on the island is that of Pietraperzia near the central province of Enna, where the Signuri di li fasci creates an elaborate piece of liturgical per- formance. With the proclama- tion of the death of Jesus, an his- torical crucifix is fixed up high on a tall log and a complex series of one hundred feet long linen strips are wrapped around the base of the cross. The white ribbons are held by devout fol- lowers as the procession makes its way delicately through the streets, accompanied by prayers in the local dialect. The fabric strands are reminiscent of medieval Maypoles but the per- formance is unique to Sicily. In Piana degli Albanesi and surrounding towns, in the province of Palermo, Easter takes on elements of the Greek Orthodox faith. The celebrations are based on the ancient Byzan- tine church, in fact many of the religious rites performed here use Greek and Albanian. Sicily became home to many refugees from Albania who were fleeing persecution in the religious wars at the end of the fall of the East- ern Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages. At Leonforte, deep in central Sicily, the Baroque Granfonte water fountain, is at the centre of the local civic and cultural histo- ry. Today Fontana dei Venti- quattro Cannoli, as it is known locally, becomes the stage for a much more subtle religious per- formance. Constructed on the ruins of an earlier Arab fountain known as the Fonte di Tavi, the font was built in 1652. The impres- sive public water source was designed by prominent Palermo architect and painter Marino Smiriglio, whose works are dot- ted around the island and include Palermo's central Quattro Canti, at the intersection that connects the four main neighbourhoods of the Sicilian capital. The Granfonte is made up of a succession of twenty two arch- ways and twenty four bronze spouts which gush water out into a series of sandstone basins once used as a public wash house. The archw ays are elaborate frames filled with ornamentation and inscriptions, quoting the coat of arms of the historical aristocratic founders of the city, the Braciforte family. On Good Friday the Gran- fonte of Leonforte is sided by a large bonfire in the surrounding s quare and the w aters are silenced as a sign of mourning and res pect for the s olemn funeral rite. This simple act of respect reflects Sicily's deep connection to its Roman Catholic roots. The blossoming Easter in Sicily Easter celebrations in Sicily are as numerous as petals on a daisy chain The magic of Eater in Sicily comes from traditions still followed with love and dedication. Photo: Rochelle Del Borrello

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