Holy Week in Polizzi Generosa: between devotion and art.
During the Easter celebrations, Polizzi and its inhabitants are overwhelmed by a strong sense of devotion that is reflected in evocative and solemn celebrations inside the beautiful churches and along the picturesque alleyways of the village. After the characteristic washing of the feet in the Chiesa Madre church on Holy Thursday, the following day, Friday, an emotional spirit of sorrowful affection and adoration overwhelms the people of Pula. They gather around the pain of what is one of the most silent and moving processions in Sicily: the procession of the Madonna degli Agonizzanti della Badia Nuova. The Andalusian-style statue of the Madonna is adorned with a splendidly elegant black lace mantle with gold decorations by designer Domenico Dolce. At nightfall, the luminous Addolorata, placed in front of Sicily's largest gilded sacred case, is borne aloft outside the church through the streets of the village, lit by the candles of the faithful, in a sad procession punctuated only by the funereal tunes played by the band. The Madonna and the Christ statue stand in the most monumental corners of the village. The bearers and women, both dressed by fashion designer Dolce in respectable black dresses, escort the statues and advance with slow, rhythmic steps. When the procession is over, the faithful huddle one last time around the statues of Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows to the background of a passionate musical march. During the celebration of Holy Saturday, the clergy come out of the church left in the dark and walk towards a brazier. After a brief greeting, the celebrant blesses the fire and lights the Easter Candle, which is then blessed with a cross, the letters Alpha and Omega and the numerals of the year. The celebrant inserts five grains of incense into the candle, symbolising the Five Wounds of Jesus. The deacon begins a procession with the Easter Candle, chanting "Lumen Christi", to which the people respond "Deo Gratias". The procession enters the church, with candles lit by the faithful, and when it reaches the presbytery, the church lights are switched on. The Easter Candle is incensed and the Liturgy of the Word, the richest of the year, begins. After each reading and psalm, the celebrant recites a prayer. The Litany of the Saints is sung, and the celebrant blesses the Baptistery water by partially immersing the Easter Candle and then sprinkles the people. On Easter Monday (or Pasquetta), the day after Easter, the inhabitants of Polizzi not only celebrate with cheerful and numerous festivities in the countryside, but also commemorate the death of the patron saint Gandolfo in 1260. The celebration takes place inside the mediaeval church of San Nicolò de Franchis, directly opposite the room, now a chapel, where the saint died.
