Holy Week in Adrano

Lucifer and the Archangel Michael fight in a fight that stages the eternal opposition between good and evil in the world: devils against angels, swords cross and the clash takes place under the eyes of the faithful who, in Easter day, every year they can watch the representation of the battle thanks to amateur actors and volunteers who take part in the representation.

A real show of sacred art, in which we witness the abuse of evil forces, represented by the devils who celebrate in the underworld, which, however, are then definitively defeated by the forces of good, with the Resurrection of Christ and the announcement of the Victory by the Archangel Gabriel.

In Adrano, the whole town participates and attends the Easter event, which is divided into various moments, from the theatrical representation to the procession with statues of the Archangel Gabriel and the Risen Christ, triumphantly carried through the streets of the center by the faithful, to then meet with the simulacrum of the Madonna at the end of the procession.

Holy Week begins with the Way of the cross, continues with the procession set to music by the town band and with the procession of the Madonna, during which the simulacrum of the Virgin is carried by the women for a long stretch of road on Good Friday; Friday evening ends with the Giro dei Santi, in which the statue of the dead Christ is carried on the shoulders of members of the Confraternity Maria SS. Of the Agonizers. Thus ends Holy Week in Adrano, before Easter day, during which the scene opens with the Devilish, a parade of demons who personify the forces of evil and continues with the Angelicata, a group of angels who protect the hearts of men in the name of Christ.

The history of Holy Week in Adrano

Every year, Holy Week in Adrano sees this representation staged, in which the whole town participates with great emotion. But what are the origins of this great religious and popular festival in costume?

The Diavolata has originated in the eighteenth century, when the representation of demons on earth is taken from the work "The Resurrection" by the poet of Adrano, Don Anselmo Laudani, written in 1752.
It is therefore from the mid-eighteenth century that the families of Adrano, every year, transform themselves into a theater company and, from generation to generation, repeat the sacred recital, teaching scenic movements and verses to the younger generations.

In the last century, then, the representation of the forces of evil was also opposed by the forces of good, with theAngelic, starting from 1980. This religious event becomes a real theatrical work divided into five acts.

The event, which is attended by Adranites and Sicilians who come from all over the island to celebrate Easter, is one of the most important religious events in Sicily and a wonderful occasion for tourists too, to join together for the celebration of the Resurrection. Every year there are so many participants and not even the pandemic has been able to stop this sacred representation, which in the darkest months of the health emergency was recorded on video and edited by professionals, to be shared with the faithful in any case.

When Holy Week takes place in Adrano

The Holy Week that precedes Easter sees each year the manifestations of the Via Crucis and processions in the village, culminating in the Diavolata and Angelicata in Adrano on Easter Sunday. Therefore, every year the religious event takes place in a different period, based on Easter.

The Diavolata begins at 12.00.

Where Adrano's Holy Week takes place

Adrano is located in Sicily, in the Metropolitan City of Catania. Holy Week includes various processions that take place along the streets of the town, but the final representation of the Victory of good over evil and the meeting of the Risen Christ with the Madonna takes place in the heart of the town: in Piazza Umberto, in front of the Mother Church of Adrano, where all the faithful and tourists gathered together can attend the event.

What to do during Holy Week in Adrano

The Diavolata and Angelicata of Adrano, which concludes Holy Week on Easter day, represents one of the most important religious events for the community of Sicilian faithful: organizing a visit to Adrano during Holy Week is therefore an opportunity to attend this beautiful and engaging event , particularly suitable for children, which also sees the inhabitants of neighboring countries.

The Easter holidays can also be the right moment for a cultural visit to the artistic heritage of Adrano, such as the Chiesa Madre Madonna Assunta in Piazza Umberto, or to the beauties of the surroundings, including the Etna park about 32 km away, the Greco-Roman Archaeological Park and Castello Ursino which are located along the coast at about 34 km or the Roman Baths, just 17 km from Adrano.

Naturally, you can take advantage of this occasion to taste the delicacies of the Sicilian culinary tradition of the holiday season.

How to get to Adrano for Holy Week and attend the Diavolata and Angelicata

Adrano is located in the province of Catania and can be easily reached by car or train.

In auto, the A18 Messina-Catania allows you to get to Adrano from the exits for Acireale and Giarre (respectively 27 and 29 km from the center) while from the A19 Palermo-Catania you have to exit at Catenanuova (17 km) or Sferro Gerbini (19km).

In train, get off at the Catania Europa or Catania Centrale stations, both about 29 km from Adrano and continue by public bus or private shuttle to the town centre.