Holy Week in Taranto

Barefoot perdoni

The rites of Holy Week ( Settimana Santa ) in Taranto , which begin on Palm Sunday , are one of the most important events that take place in the southern Italian city.

On this day the two most important brotherhoods of the municipality of Taranto, the Addolorata (they belong to the Church of San Domenico in the old town) and the Carmine (they belong to the Church of Madonna del Carmine) meet for a “competition ". This “competition” determines who will carry the heavy statues of the procession and who will be “Perdoni” (pairs of friars who step out of the mother church in pairs; literally: “those who ask for forgiveness”). The two fraternities call extraordinary assemblies, which normally only friars who are not involved in disciplinary action and the community administration can attend. At the beginning of the meeting, the secretary or the prior advertises the auction. The statue is attributed to the friar who offers the most. The proceeds of the auction will be used for charities throughout the year.

history

The rites of Holy Week in Taranto go back to the time of Spanish rule in southern Italy . They were introduced by the tarant patrician Don Diego Calò. At the end of the 17th century, he had the statues of the dead Jesus and the Virgin of Sorrows made in Naples . In 1765, the patrician of Taranto, Francesco Antonio Calò, heir and custodian of the Misteri procession on Good Friday, donated the two statues mentioned above to the Carmine Brotherhood in order to continue the tradition that began about a century ago.

rites

The Perdoni

Perdoni - Good Friday evening

Perdoni

The Perdoni are friars of the Church of the Carmine who come in pairs from the Mother Church on Maundy Thursday afternoon to make a pilgrimage to the most important churches of Borgo Antico and Borgo Nuovo. The altar of these churches is decorated with flowers and symbolizes the tomb (Sepolcro) of Jesus . Tradition dictates that you visit an odd number of churches.

The Perdoni are barefoot and their clothing consists of a traditional white mess shirt that is narrowed at the waist and wrists; a black rosary with a crucifix hang on the right side of the mess shirt and on the left side is a black leather strap, symbol of the whip, attached. On a cream-colored mozzetta with two scapulars , buttoned at the front , you can see the letters Decor and Carmeli embroidered with light blue silk . The headgear includes a white hood with two holes at eye level; a crown of thorns on his head and a black hat trimmed with blue ribbon with two hanging ribbons.

The Perdoni, memory of the pilgrims who went to Rome to receive the forgiveness of sins, also have a staff about two meters high, symbol of the ancient pilgrim's cane, with them.

This solemn parade of the Perdoni is the first act of the Holy Week in Taranto, which involves the whole city population.

Sepolcri - Church of San Domenico
Sepolcri - Church of San Francesco
Sepolcri - Cathedral of San Cataldo

The procession of the Virgin of Sorrows

Troccola

This procession starts at midnight from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday . The starting point is the Church of San Domenico and runs through the streets of the old town (Borgo Antico) and Borgo Nuovo according to the following plan:

Chiesa San Domenico Maggiore - Pendio San Domenico - Piazza Fontana - Via Garibaldi - Discesa Vasto - Ponte Girevole - Via Archita - Via Margherita - Via Cavour - Via Anfiteatro - Via Berardi - Piazza Maria Immacolata - Sosta nell'Istituto Maria Immacolata - Via D ' Aquino - Via Margherita - Ponte Girevole - Piazza Castello - Via Duomo - Chiesa San Domenico Maggiore.

The clothing of the friars consists of a traditional mass shirt, narrowed at the waist and wrists, and a black rosary with a crucifix that hangs down on the right side. A black fabric belt with four ribbons at the ends of which two tassels are attached hang down on the left side. On the left side of the black buttoned mozzetta is a metal plate on which the Virgin of Sorrows is depicted. A black hat resting on the shoulders is fastened with a ribbon at the waist. The headgear includes a white hood with two little holes at eye level and a crown of thorns.

The troccola (a hand-made rectangular wooden instrument with four iron handles that is shaken to announce and regulate the procession. It is used because bells and bells are forbidden during Holy Week) opens the procession and two musical groups, the funeral marches play, follow her.

Troccola (opens the procession)
Music group playing funeral marches
Pesàre (wooden panels carried by young friars; symbolize the stones thrown at Jesus)
Cross of the Misteri
Perdoni (4 pairs)
3rd cross
Perdoni (4 pairs)
2nd cross
Perdoni (4 pairs)
1st cross
Perdoni (2 pairs)
Trono
Virgin of Sorrows
Music group playing funeral marches

Mazze (2) (they keep order during the procession and possibly exchange the perdoni if necessary)

After a short break in the monastery of Maria SS. Immacolata, the procession returns to the Church of San Domenico on Good Friday around 2 p.m.

Troccolante of the Addolorata procession
Cross of the Addolorata procession
Perdone

Misteri procession

Troccola of the Misteri procession

This procession leaves the Church of Madonna del Carmine around 3 p.m. on Good Friday and goes through the streets of the Borgo according to the following plan:

Chiesa del Carmine - Piazza Carmine - Via D'Aquino - Piazza Maria Immacolata - Via Di Palma - Via Regina Elena - Sosta nella chiesa di San Francesco di Paola - Via Anfiteatro - Via Massari - Piazza Carmine - Chiesa del Carmine.

The Perdoni carry processional statues, which symbolize the Passion of Jesus, with slow rocking movements to the rhythm of the funeral music.

The procession is composed as follows:

Troccola (opens the procession), Gonfalone of the Brotherhood, Cross of the Misteri, Christ in the vegetable garden, the pillar, the Ecce Homo (figure of lamentation), the waterfall, the crucifix, the Holy Shroud, the dead Jesus, the Virgin of Sorrows. The procession is accompanied by three musical groups playing funeral marches.

Troccola (opens the procession)
Music group playing funeral marches
Brotherhood Gonfalone
Cross of the Misteri
Perdoni (3 pairs)
Christ in the garden
Perdoni (3 pairs)
pillar
Perdoni (3 pairs)
Ecce Homo (wretched figure)
Perdoni (3 pairs)
waterfall
Perdoni (3 pairs)
crucifix
Perdoni (3 pairs)
Holy Shroud
Music group playing funeral marches
Perdoni (3 pairs)
dead Jesus
Virgin of Sorrows
Music group playing funeral marches

Mazze (7) (you will keep order during the procession and possibly exchange the perdoni if necessary)

After a short stay in the church of San Francesco di Paola, the procession returns to the church del Carmine on Holy Saturday around 9 a.m., after about 16 hours, and thus ends the rites of Holy Week.