Easter in Comiso

The celebrations for the Easter in Comiso they involve the community with liturgies and with the meeting of the simulacra of Maria Santissima Annunziata and Risen Christ according to a ritual, unchanged for centuries, which begins with the Spanish domination of the island.

Easter celebrations in Comiso

The celebrations begin there Palm Sunday with particular liturgies and continue the Holy thursday when the community gathers to pray in church with the tombs decorated with germinated seedlings of cereals, a pagan reminder of spring as a symbol of natural rebirth. On Friday the churches dress in mourning, while on Saturday the faithful gather for the Easter vigil and then celebrate, according to the Catalan custom, the resurrection of Christ on the street with firecrackers and music. The day of Easter it is called the feast of "peace" because it is characterized by the repeated meeting in front of the churches of the city of the simulacra of Maria Santissima Annunziata and Risen Christ. The two statues move away and approach each other until they touch while two children sing the song of the Queen Coeli. The event ends late at night with fireworks.

The history of Easter in Comiso

The Easter celebrations linked to the cult of the Madonna date back to the 400th century with the Catalan domination of the province and take place in the Basilica of Maria Santissima Annunziata. The Catalans are the first to carry the simulacrum of the Risen Christ and Annunziata and also introduce the people of Comis to the flavors of their land that mix with local traditions. Even today, in fact, the local population prepares some typical Catalan dishes during the Easter period such as breaded lamb, timbales of meat and vegetables covered in bread dough and cassatelle, single-portion sweets of ricotta and cinnamon in a bread basket. In particular, cassatelle are a dish of Arab origin that the Catalans know with the Saracen domination of their territory and then bring to Sicily creating a blend of aromas that makes the island one of the most appreciated lands for culinary culture.

When Easter takes place in Comiso

The party starts with Palm Sunday and ends the Easter Sunday.

Where the event takes place

The liturgies of the holy week involve all the churches of the city, even if the fulcrum of the celebration is the Basilica of Maria Santissima Annunziata where mass is held after the procession.

What to do during the event

La Easter in Comiso creates a festive atmosphere in the city that makes a stroll through the streets and squares of a baroque village unique. There Basilica of Maria Santissima Annunziata it is a typical example of this style, in fact it is rich in furnishings and fascinates tourists for its elegance and elevated position which is highlighted by an imposing stone staircase. There Church of Santa Maria delle Stelle is older, dates back to the XNUMXth century and inside you can admire a frescoed wooden ceiling and a statue of the Madonna del Carmine of the school of Antonello Gagini. There Church of St. Blaise holds various treasures such as the entrance portal of the '700 and two paintings by Pietro Novelli and is the protagonist of the great Feast of San Biagio. The event is held on February 3 and includes liturgies, the blessing of the throat given to the faithful with two candles crossed on the neck, the procession and various folk events. The city center is not far away and is Fonte Diana square with the eighteenth century Town Hall and the elegant loggia of Iacono-Ciarcià Palace while a few steps away there is the Hake Castle which for centuries has belonged to the lords of Comiso. Outside the center in Contrada Canicarao there is one of the first places of Buddhist worship in Italy, the Peace Pagoda built in 1998.

How to get to Comiso

By car: From Ragusa, take via Moro on the SP52 in the direction of the SS115 and continue for 7,3km. On Viale delle Americas, take Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Comiso where the Basilica Maria Santissima Annunziata is located at number 196.
From Messina, take the A20 from viale Boccetta and follow the directions for Catania. Take the Carlentini-Lentini exit and continue on the SS194 up to the Comiso exit where you follow the SP7 up to Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Comiso.
From Palermo, take the E90 from via Roma and continue for 6km to the entrance to the A19 where you can follow the signs to Resuttano. Take the Resuttano exit and follow the road to Villarosa, exit the A19 and take the SS115 in the direction of via S. Biagio in Comiso where you follow the signs for corso Vittorio Emanuele.