The Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani

Positioned on a gentle slope sloping down towards the valleys, the village was built by Don Giovan Battista Berardi in the first half of the seventeenth century.
The agglomeration formed around the Ducal Palace and to the beautiful Mother Church, respecting an urban plan with an orthogonal shape.

History of the Easter Arches in San Biagio di Platani

It dates back to the middle of XVII century the tradition of Easter arches, practically almost after the foundation of the town. The celebration harks back to the cult of the Madonna and Christ and although it is an evocative religious event, it originates in a town which at the time did not have a thousand inhabitants.

There were two brotherhoods – the Madunnara , Signorara – from which this ritual was born which has continued year after year since then.

The fact that there are two factions present in San Biagio di Platani makes it clear very heartfelt this competition ends on the night of the Saturday preceding Easter when the brotherhoods finish setting up the Arches in the area previously assigned to them.

Easter day sees the Arches officially practically positioned and they will remain in place for the following weeks.

It is artistic works made up of domes, arches and bell towers which are arranged along the entire Corso Umberto and which, once removed, will be exhibited in the Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani.

The brotherhoods use to prepare their Bows, material found in nature such as reeds, willow, laurel, rosemary, dates and more and each element has its own symbolism.

It is useless to underline the fact that the central arches are those considered the most important also because they refer to the historical origin of the event and under which, on Easter day, the meeting between the Madonna and the Risen Jesus will take place.

The scenography changes year by year but its structure remains unchanged and is formed by the entrance which leads to the avenue and the Arch. Usually the entrance represents the facade of a church, the avenue the nave and the arch at the end, the apse.

Originally the Arches had the purpose, in addition to celebrating the Resurrection, to hide the state of poverty of the citizens of San Biagio di Platani.

Works of art present in the Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani

The Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani was born with the intention of not losing what was achieved every year regarding this celebration.

Very characteristic are the Nimpe, that is, a sort of chandeliers having medium and large dimensions, made in an artisanal way and which are part of the decoration of the Arches. These are richly decorated with an imaginative weave of dates, twigs and flowers of all kinds. In ancient times they were decorated only with dates, chickpeas, corn and hazelnuts but over time we wanted to enrich these compositions with the addition of fabrics, glass, colored pasta and other often recycled materials.

What is possible to do near the Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani

In addition to the Arches Museum, it is worth visiting Mother Church dedicated to San Biagio which is located along Corso Umberto, at the end of which there is a belvedere from which to admire the surrounding panorama.

Also the Carmel Church, in Corinthian style, must be known.

In the surroundings of the village, in addition to the natural environment that dominates the valley of the Platani river characterized by canyons dug into the rock over the millennia, you can reach the town of Montagnola where tombs have been found little cave from the Bronze Age and oven tombs from the Eneolithic period.

About a dozen kilometers away is Aragon where the eighteenth century is worth visiting Palazzo Principe Naselli, a typical noble residence inside which there are wonderful frescoes and an ancient art gallery containing various precious artistic works.

How is it possible to get to the Easter Arches Museum in San Biagio di Platani

By car:

from Palermo: take the SS Palermo-Agrigento exiting at the Casteltermini junction and take the road to San Biagio for 17 kilometres.

from Catania: take the SS Caltanissetta-Agrigento and continue on the Corleonese Agrigentina in the direction of Raffadali and take the junction for San Biagio Platani for 25 kilometres.