Easter celebration rituals can be found throughout Christian countries. In Modica it is not only the proud local population that gathers to celebrate Maronna Vasa Vasa – meaning ‘Madonna that finds her son’. Very much one of its kind, crowds come from far and wide to this Baroque Sicilian ‘city of 100 churches’ nestled in a great ravine.
I craned my neck and was rewarded with my first sight of Christ above the crowd. A great roar of pleasure could be heard as Madonna came into view- Caroline Crutchley
As the bells solemnly tolls on the evening of Good Friday, a candlelit procession makes its way around the parish streets of Modica Alta. The priest and altar boys lead the procession with the ornately gilded glass coffin of Christ held up for all to see.
The bloodied figure lies upon a satin bed. As they pass through each locality, more join the procession, heads bowed, candles flickering in their hands. Others come out of their homes to pay their respects and stand side by side.
I joined my neighbours lining the cobbled alley and listened to the quiet chatter as they waited for the procession to approach. The sight of the slow, snake-like glow moving upwards set the scene for a quiet evening at home. On Good Friday, the little bars are empty of the men in coats and smart trilby hats.
Saturday was just a normal day with women shopping and preparing Easter treats. As I wandered around, the scents of minced lamb pastry assailed my nostrils. There was a feeling of anticipation and contained joy in the build-up to the big occasion.
Easter Sunday arrived with the pealing of bells from the city’s churches; there were at least eight within earshot. And with a joyous “Buona Pasqua”, I joined my neighbours of Modica Alta in the long walk down to Modica Bassa where the whole place was abuzz.
At the stroke of 11 a.m., the bells of Santa Maria di Betlemme church pealed and the statue of the Risen Christ burst from the darkness onto the street. A cheer erupted that spread throughout the crowd like a Mexican wave. As the statue moved, the crowd parted. Children cried out, “Mama let us follow”, and some fell in behind to do just that.
The band made its way through the crowd with the sindaco (mayor) emblazoned with his sash of office flanked by the Carabinieri, the statue and the crowd. Many lingered at the church doors and some 30 minutes later a much smaller statue appeared. It was Mary draped in black, with her hands extended forlornly.
It appeared she did not believe the whispers that Jesus Christ had risen and she was not easily consoled by the crowd. But in her desperation and mourning, the crowd moved forward en mass, to will her to search for her beloved son. Mary’s path was adorned with flowers as the crowd began to move.
A game of hide-and-seek began as the statue of Christ disappeared up an alley before Mary could catch sight of it. Each statue was accompanied by a trail of supporters. The joyous tension could be felt all along Corsa Umberto. People stood on every balcony and vantage point, trying to be the first to see the statues as they reappeared. Families gathered in the crush of smiling faces, small children held aloft.
The atmosphere was uneasily electric and I could not help but be swept up by it. We all knew that at noon, the two statues would meet and we all jockeyed for position to be at the very spot it would happen.
Everyone kept checking their watches. What was normally the centre of a roundabout was now the prime vantage point. I craned my neck and was rewarded with my first sight of Christ above the crowd. A great roar of pleasure could be heard as Madonna came into view.
And right on cue, her black mantle of mourning was shed and white doves flew free from them, trailing blue ribbons. Her puppet-like arms moved in and out in a beckoning embrace. As they edged closer and closer, the crowd’s roar grew louder and they parted.
Now resplendent in a bright blue robe, Madonna ran forward. She first bowed before Christ and then in her exuberance her long arms embraced him before leaning precariously forward for a kiss.
Firecrackers exploded and confetti and streamers shot skyward from her crown – and the crowd roared even more. I was cheering and clapping just like everyone, caught up in the joy of the moment.
The crowd embraced and wished all a Happy Easter, whether they knew each other or not. At that very special moment; everyone was united.
Mary took her place beside her son and the two statues paraded off to the church. Mary had found her son. Vasa Vasa was over yet again.
The mass of human joy in Piazza San Domenico began to thin as families made their way home. Now was a time for a lunch of Modican lamb and hand-crafted chocolate eggs.
Buona Pasqua.
Getting there
Modica is just 16 km from Pozzallo, which can be reached from Malta in 90 minutes with Virtu Ferries. Alternatively fly to Catania (75 km from Modica) with Air Malta or Meridiana. Good Friday this year falls on April 6 and Easter Sunday falls on April 8.