In Marsala, Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of Easter celebrations, transforming the city into a journey through time. The streets come alive with a unique sacredness, becoming a living stage where history, faith and tradition bring to life the evocative Holy Representation of the Passion of the Lord. An event that has its roots in the seventeenth century and still attracts visitors, pilgrims and travelers seeking an authentic experience. Unlike other Sicilian Easter celebrations, this procession is distinguished by the stage presence of hundreds of figures in historical costume and the direct involvement of the local community, which has been proudly handing down this rite for generations.
An up-close and personal experience
Staying at Viacolvento during Holy Week means immersing yourself in a tradition that has spanned the centuries, breathing in the spirituality and charm of a unique event.
The procession passes just a few steps from the hotel, allowing guests to watch the procession in an atmosphere of rare intensity.
Each scene is a fragment of history, a representation that goes beyond folklore to become a pure expression of faith and culture.
From early afternoon, the Procession of the Living Mysteries, an enthralling depiction of the Passion of Christ, comes to life among the streets of the historic center. Among the many elements that make it unique is the presence of the Veronicas, iconic figures of the procession, guardians of an ancient tradition that combines devotion and beauty.
Le Veroniche and Viacolvento: a bond that is renewed every year
There is a fascinating detail that makes the Maundy Thursday procession even more special for those who choose Viacolvento during their stay in Marsala: the Veronicas prepare right in our hotel rooms.
Young women dressed in precious gowns, tulle veils and crowns adorned with jewels tiptoe through our corridors, transforming Viacolvento’s spaces into a place suspended between history and ritual.
The rooms become dressing rooms, where attentive hands weave golden threads and pin the last pins on the finely decorated “coppollette.” The air is filled with palpable emotion, a mixture of pride and trepidation, as the young Veronicas mirror one last time, adjusting the veil with slow, solemn gestures. It is a tradition that is renewed year after year, before going out and immersing themselves in the sacred procession, where the Veronicas will parade through the streets of the city carrying with them the memory of an ancient gesture: the act of cleansing Christ’s face along the path of Calvary.
Book your stay and be enveloped in the charm of Holy Thursday in Marsala.
