When people talk about Holy Week in Campania, they immediately think of Procida or the Sorrento peninsula. But in the north of the province of Caserta there is a town where the Passion rites have an intensity that struck us deeply: Sessa Aurunca. Here, in the days leading up to Easter, the confraternities carry the Mysteries on their shoulders through the streets of the old town – Baroque groups of statues that tell the story of the Passion of Christ – while great fires light up the route. It is a profoundly religious tradition, to be experienced with respect, and we tell you about it because it helps you understand the soul of this ancient town.
Sessa Aurunca, a town of stone and history
Before talking about the rites, it is worth remembering where we are. Sessa Aurunca stands on a hill between Monte Massico and the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina, and it bears the marks of a very long history: the Roman theatre, brought back to light by excavations in the early 2000s and able to hold more than 3,500 spectators; the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, dating from 1183; and the ducal castle, founded in Norman times on older structures and enlarged by Frederick II, which today houses the national archaeological museum. The lanes of the centre, quiet for the rest of the year, become the stage for a collective procession during Holy Week.
Good Friday: the Mysteries of the Crucifix
The heart of the rites is the procession of the Mysteries, which takes place on the two days before Easter Sunday. On Good Friday it is the confraternity of the Santissimo Crocifisso (Most Holy Crucifix) that carries the Baroque groups on its shoulders. There are four of them, and they follow the Gospel narrative:
- Jesus in the Garden of Olives;
- Jesus at the column;
- the Ecce Homo;
- Jesus's second fall beneath the cross.
Behind the statues come a large cross decorated with all the symbols of the Passion, the bier of the Dead Christ and the images of the three Marys. What struck us most was the way the bearers walk: a slow, swaying step that in Sessa they call cunnuella, a kind of rocking that seems to cradle the statues. Great bonfires are lit along the route, making the scene even more evocative.
Holy Saturday: Our Lady of Sorrows
The next day the procession changes tone. On Holy Saturday it is the Confraternity of San Carlo Borromeo and that of the Santissimo Rifugio that carry the Mysteries of the Deposition from the Cross and of Our Lady of Sorrows. The procession also includes women dressed in mourning who walk barefoot, as a sign of a vow or personal devotion. It is the most intimate moment: the mother's grief accompanies the town towards Easter night.
The Miserere, a song from oral tradition
In Sessa, Holy Week also has its own voice. Among the most precious traditions is the Miserere, a polyphonic chant handed down orally from generation to generation, which has recently been collected and published so that it will not be lost. Hearing it in the streets of the old town, among the ancient stones and the smoke of the bonfires, is an experience that is hard to forget. The history of the Sessa rites has also been studied by local scholars, a sign of how attached the community is to them.
Our tips for attending
- Remember that these are religious rites, not a show: keep quiet and keep your distance, especially as the Mysteries pass by.
- Be discreet with flash and smartphones, and don't get in the way of the bearers.
- Wear comfortable shoes: the processions are long and the old town has uphill streets.
- Routes and times may change from year to year: check the websites of the Comune and the parishes before you set off.
Getting there and when to go
Sessa Aurunca lies in the north of the province of Caserta, near the border with Lazio, about an hour's drive from Naples. A car is the most convenient way to get there, also so you can combine the visit with the surrounding area; for roads, parking and traffic closures on procession days, ask the Comune. The date of Easter changes every year, between late March and April: plan ahead, because the town fills up during the days of the rites.
Nearby
Make the most of the trip to discover the town outside the festival days too: we tell its story, together with that of Teano, in our article on the two towns between the Romans and the Middle Ages. A few kilometres away are the chestnut woods of the Roccamonfina volcano and its park and, on Monte Massico, the vineyards of Falerno del Massico DOC. For other Easter traditions in the region, read our guide to Easter in Campania.