Easter Cagliari Easter celebrations cagliari Sardinia

Starting the first Thursday of lent and continuing for the 40 days of lent ( finishing on good Friday) the confraternities meet to practice the scripts, scores and movements of scenes, songs and the roles they will play during the period of Easter. The young avidly observe the older members to learn, while the women polish the furnishings and statues which have remained untouched for a year.

7 PM Confraternity of Solitude(Church of San Giovanni Battisti)
Meeting of the confraternity and the begining of choir practice, that will start at the same hour every night during the week

7 PM Confraternity of the Holy Christ( Oratory church of San Giacomo, Piazza San Giacomo))
Meeting of the confraternity and the begining of choir practice, that will start at the same hour every night during the week

5 PM Confraternity of the Holy Christ( Oratory church of San Giacomo)
The confraternity of the holy Christ starts its celebrations of holy weeek with the formal dressing of the statue the sorrowful virgin

4 PM Procession of the Mysteries Confraternity of the Holy Christ( Oratory church of San Giacomo, Piazza San Giacomo))
A fascinating rite that takes place during lent and one of the oldest traditions upheld in the city - an early form of Via Crucis. Passion friday is before palm Sunday.. not to be confused with Good Friday which preceeds Easter Sunday.

A cortege of fraternity members carry seven ancient wooden statues on their shoulders representing Jesus in the most significant moments of his 'Way of Grief'. The first staue is Jesus kneeling in the garden of Gethsemene followed by the betrayal of Judas, the crown of thorns, the ascent to calvary and the crucifiction. TThe sad procession takes a different route every year stopping at seven churches on its way. One of the 'mysteries' enters each church in accordance with the chronological sequence of the passion. The procession then returns to its starting point after sunset by torchlight procession creating a very moving atmosphere

10 AM All parish Churches
Blessing of the palms to commemorate the triumphal entry to Jerusalem
7 PM Confraternity of Solitude-Church of San Giovanni Battisti- pictured above
Lowering and solemn showing of the crucifix.

3 PM Procession of the Mysteries(see passion friday)(Church of San Michele Arcangel, Via Azuni)

5 PM Confraternity of the Holy Christ( Oratory church of San Giacomo) The confraternity of the holy Christ starts its celebrations of holy week with the formal dressing of the statue of the sorrowful virgin 5.30 PM Church of Sant Efisio, via Sant Efisio in Satmapace the formal dressing of the statue the sorrowful virgin, deposition of the dead Christ in the processional litter.

3 PM Crucifiction 'Incravamentu" Confraternity of the Holy Christ Oratory church of San Giacomo pictured)
4 PM Crucifiction 'Incravamentu" (Church of San Giovanni Battisti)
6 PM All parish Churches)
Holy mass in Conena Domini and adoration of the Eucharist at the Monumentus or Sepulchres

8 PM Church of Sant Efisio , Via Sant Efiso, Stampace.
Visit to the seven churches by the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalon
1PM Confraternity of Solitude(Church of San Giovanni Battisti and Cathedral Piazza Palazzo)
The confraternity of Solitude begins the most significant rite dating back to the Spanish period ; The Good Friday Pageant. It starts with the prioress and sisters removing the veil(covers the face of Christ during holy week) in a long and precise ritual. The women take the heavy crucifix and a procession throughout the old town of Cagliari is begun by six brothers, holding torches and black banners depicting the mysteries of Christs' Passions. The brothrers are followed by the penitents carrying a large black cross with a white stole. After the penitents come the sisters wearing long black robes holding candles, a shawl covering their shoulders and their heads are covered by veils which are lowered over their faces. The woman of the confraternity are followed by the males in long white hooded tunics. At the back of the procession comes the statue of Christ, carried by the four men and seven women appointed as guardians. The procession is marked by the slow beat of the drums and choir singing as they walk.

When the crucifix arrives at the cathedral, it is accepted by the Canon and is solemnly raised in the presbytery, and afterwards laid in the transept where it will remain until the next day

4PM Confraternity of the Holy Christ( Oratory church of San Giacomo and the Church of San Lucifero)
Also on good friday the confraternity of the Holy Christ has a similar procession which the crucufis is carried from the Church in Piazza San Giacomo and is taken by snaking procession to the church of San Lucifero. A torchlight procession then heads back to the church of San Giacomo. The procession is accompanied by a choir which is a key element in the tradition. The songs sung have no written score and are only handed down by family tradition orally. Singing contnues into the night and this has for centuries been one of the highest regliious expressions in the Villanova quarter

8PM( Oratory church of San Giacomo and the Church of San Efisio)
Funeral procession. 8.30 AM Church of San Lucifero, Via San Lucifero
Deposition from the cross
10 AM Cathedral, piazza Palazzo
a ceremony in Sardo(the Sardinian Language). The ceremony is called Su Scravamentu ( the un-nailing of Christ from the cross )
10 AM Oratory church of San Giacomo
Dressing of the glorious virgin in festive dress
4.30 PM Church of San Giovanni Battisti
funeral procession
4.30 PM Oratory church of San Giacomo
The return of the dead Christ to the church in procession from the catherdral and Christ's Funeral
Midnight Oratory church of San Giacomo
Exit of the resurected Christ and the fist easter mass

10 AM Corso Vittorio Emanuele S'Incontru
The meeting between the resurected Christ and his mother by Stampace parish
11 AM Via Garibaldi
The meeting between the resurected Christ and his mother by Villanova parish
12 AM Via Roma
The meeting between the resurected Christ and his mother by Marina parish