The history of the Good Friday Procession of Catanzaro

The procession of Catanzaro, probably from the seventeenth century, in the course of the following centuries has undergone some transformations. In the Early Modern era, the organization of the parade was entrusted to guilds and brotherhoods. Today, however, only the latter are involved in the development of the sacred procession. During the procession, the brothers wear a robe and a cape coordinated with the colours of the crosses. In the past, religious associations organized four different parades: the confraternities went into procession from their respective churches, each with their own naca. This custom, which evokes the competitive aspects typical of Baroque rituals, was abandoned in 1937. Since then, in fact, there has been a single procession, the direction of which alternates among the confraternities. The route of the funeral ceremony, then, although the same, changes its point of departure and arrival every year.