Buona Pasqua or Happy Easter! In Italy, Easter is kind of a big deal; in Castiglion, it is an even bigger deal. The town of Castiglion Fiorentino has maintained some of the Easter and Holy Week traditions since the 13th century...which is the 1200's! During that time, Italian religious culture was more tuned to the afterlife rather than their life here on earth. The fear of the afterlife made it necessary to do a lot of penance and pilgrimages. Processions throughout the medieval towns allowed for a replacement of lengthy pilgrimages. This past week, three processions were scheduled: one each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Good Friday. The Passion is reenacted on Thursday on a rocky hillside. Due to uncooperative weather, one of the processions and the Passion play were canceled. I had the opportunity to be an actor in the Passion as a member of the Jewish tribunal and later, by removing my hat, a member of the crowd. We didn't get to perform, even after a rescheduled showing on Easter Sunday.
The processions are organized by brotherhoods, three of which are still active in Castiglion. They are not a religious order, but the members serve the Church as volunteers. The three different brotherhoods wear different colored robes and are affiliated with a church in town. The Company of Misericordie is affiliated with Chiesa San Francesco and they wear black robes. They were originally founded in Florence during the Plague to assist the sick and dying. To provide protection from the contagions, and to provide anonymity while performing works of mercy, the members donned long robes and pointed hoods that covered the face entirely except for the eyes.
Some extra penitent souls walk barefoot. The processions begin at the church associated with the brotherhood leading the procession that evening. They wind their way through town pausing to say prayers of the rosary at all of the churches they pass along they way. Many of the streets in town are very steep and the men carrying the crosses were struggling. This added to the extremely moving experience.
On Wednesday, I watched the procession as it went past Santa Chiara and then met the procession at its ending point in the Piazza San Francesco. It was rather eery knowing that the man behind the robe was looking at me while I was looking at him. I didn't know whether to smile or to remain somber to show my appreciation.
The Company of Jesus is affiliated with the Chiesa il Gesu. Members of this order wear blue robes. The last company, the Company of St. Antonio, are also affiliated with the Chiesa San Francesco. Members of this order wear white robes. Despite their resemblance to the robes of the KKK, the robes and orders have no relation to a sect, they were founded for a social purpose, much like the Knights of Columbus. Unlike the Knights of Columbus, men and women and even children can belong to a brotherhood. Oftentimes, whole families belong to the brotherhood.
The processions are led by a different brotherhood each night. Each brotherhood has three crosses carried by volunteers. Each member of the brotherhood carries a wax torch and they process in silence. Only the muffled sounds of soft-soled shoes and the rustle of long robes and rosaries fill the streets.
Some extra penitent souls walk barefoot. The processions begin at the church associated with the brotherhood leading the procession that evening. They wind their way through town pausing to say prayers of the rosary at all of the churches they pass along they way. Many of the streets in town are very steep and the men carrying the crosses were struggling. This added to the extremely moving experience.
On Wednesday, I watched the procession as it went past Santa Chiara and then met the procession at its ending point in the Piazza San Francesco. It was rather eery knowing that the man behind the robe was looking at me while I was looking at him. I didn't know whether to smile or to remain somber to show my appreciation.
The torches drip wax onto the stones of the streets. Even now, a week later, you can still trace the path of the processions through the town.
On Good Friday I participated in the procession starting at the Chiesa il Gesu, which is next door to Santa Chiara Study Center. The townspeople follow after the band of Castiglion, playing somber marches with only a little discord.
The band is preceded by a statue of Jesus that dates from the Middle Ages. The Easter Vigil Mass begins at 11:30 pm. We arrived an hour early and weren't able to get a seat in the main nave of the church, we were stuck 6 on a pew in the side aisle. The Mass goes on for about a half hour. At midnight, with the sounds of cymbals and a band, the enormous two story main doors of the church are thrown open and 6 men in blue robes run in carrying a statue of the risen Jesus with a banner flapping along behind. From our vantage point, we couldn't see the men carrying the statue. We could only see Jesus with his arm outstretched and the banner flying in mid-air. At the same time, firecrackers are set off in the piazza outside the church. These weren't any sort of normal firecrackers...they were military strength diversionary artillary! The Mass continued along just as any normal Easter Vigil after that. Only one person was baptized at the Vigil.
The band is preceded by a statue of Jesus that dates from the Middle Ages. The Easter Vigil Mass begins at 11:30 pm. We arrived an hour early and weren't able to get a seat in the main nave of the church, we were stuck 6 on a pew in the side aisle. The Mass goes on for about a half hour. At midnight, with the sounds of cymbals and a band, the enormous two story main doors of the church are thrown open and 6 men in blue robes run in carrying a statue of the risen Jesus with a banner flapping along behind. From our vantage point, we couldn't see the men carrying the statue. We could only see Jesus with his arm outstretched and the banner flying in mid-air. At the same time, firecrackers are set off in the piazza outside the church. These weren't any sort of normal firecrackers...they were military strength diversionary artillary! The Mass continued along just as any normal Easter Vigil after that. Only one person was baptized at the Vigil.
Holy Week and the events leading up to Easter were very special here in Castiglion and I felt very privileged to have been a part of the processions and to have been invited to be in the Passion play. The whole town was abuzz with making Easter a special holiday and Easter Monday is a national holiday, so we didn't have classes. It was a very relaxing weekend and very moving.
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