The Processions of Holy week in the Sorrento Peninsula began in the early 1500s, where small groups of people went church by church, praying and visiting Altars of repose. This is an alter where the communion hosts consecrated on maundy Thursday during the Mass of the Lords supper. It is placed on “reserve” for use on the following day, Good Friday.

During the 18th Century the Spanish Domination were under the influence of the Jesuits. The Processions started to enrich themselves through to the parades of today. This is a group of hooded men carrying crosses, lamps and symbols of the passion, that ends with a statue of Christ and Mary.

Each Procession has different choirs, made up of men, women and children. The mens choir contains the choir of “Miserere” (Psalm 50), a penitential choir with it’s spirit of humanity and repentance.

Each day of Holy week is full of ceremonies, starting from Palm Sunday to the night of Good Friday.

Crosses and Processions fill the streets of the Peninsula creating an atmosphere of prayer and reflection

In some cases, the way of the cross is acted with costumes, in order to give people a realistic representation of what actually happened two thousand years ago.

The first procession starts on Maundy Thursday, after the Mass of the Lords Supper. The hooded men go around visiting Christ Eucharist in the churches.
Between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the suggestive “night”, processions go around visiting the altar of repose, carrying on their shoulders the statue of Virgin Mary, looking for her son, Christ.
The processions return to their own Churches in the first hours of sunrise.
The last processions of Good Friday start in the evening, carrying the statue of dead Christ and Virgin Mary.