Messina: faith and devotion in the procession of Barette

It represents scenes from the Passion of Christ. As the Last Supper, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Christ falling under the weight of the cross, the Oration in the Garden, Christ lashed. These are some of the most celebrated Barette. It will be carried in procession through the city of Messina, as for tradition, on Good Friday occasion.

The procession of Barette is one of the oldest traditions of the city. A tradition that, except for some very rare exceptions, is held continuously since a century. The statues and statuary groups date back to different eras and are made of papier-mâché, wood and plaster.

The day of the procession, the believers carry on their shoulders the Barette through the streets of the city following a path that is always the same since over a century: starting from the church Nuovo Oratorio della Pace, where Barette are kept during the rest of the year, and arriving in Piazza Duomo. The procession is accompanied by eleven batters, representing the same number of families who have taken the honor and the burden of curate one Baretta.

The procession of Barette in Messina is an opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the most suggestive and felt religious event in Sicily. For more information, please visit the official website of the City of Messina, Comune.messina.it.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/fa_b