PhD Program in Historical studies
The Via Crucis of Marsala
On Holy Thursday the procession of the Misteri is held in MarsalaMarsala is the most populous municipality in the province of Trapani and the fifth most populous of entire Sicily. It rises on the ruins of the ancient Punic city of Lilibeo (hence the epithet of lilibetani for its residents), but it owes its name to the period of Arab rule: Mars-Allah means in fact “Port of Allah”. It is famous above all for the landing of Garibaldi and the Thousand occurred on May 11, 1860.. Here, unlike the capital of Trapani, where for several centuries the scenes of the Passion paraded through the streets of the city in the form of wonderful wooden statuary groups, the Stations of the Cross are still being staged in the manner of the ancient Casazze, or through a play with living people. In other words, in Marsala the faithful impersonate the phases and protagonists of the Calvary of Christ. To those who interpret the Redeemer a mask of wax is assigned. We point out some among the nine episodes of the Stations of the Cross of Marsala that portray Jesus and the Apostles: the Arrest, Jesus before Pilate and Herod, Ecce Homo, as well as, of course, Calvary and the Crucifixion (which, late in the evening, closes the sacred representation). At the end of the procession are the only elements of statues in the procession: the pageants of the Dead Christ (lying on a white sheet) and Our Lady of Sorrows. Today you can visit the museum set up by the Confraternita di Sant’Anna (Confraternity of Saint Anne), which displays objects and costumes of the Passion of Marsala. This brotherhood was also at the origin of the procession (eighteenth century). At first, the roles of Christ and the other protagonists of the Gospel story were played only by the clergy and the nobility. Over time, however, the staging has become an occasion for popular participation, a new feature that has upset the composure of the ritual. From the early years of the last century, moreover, the representation also includes some dialogues.