
Holy Week, from 6th to 9th April 2023
Holy Week Processions in Corsica is deeply felt and many celebrations taking place in many cities and villages, each with its own particularities.
Bonifacio and the Holy Week
For more than 700 years it has been lived with many celebrations and sees the participation of the five confraternities, the largest in Corsica.
The confraternities of Bonifacio are: Saint-Barthélémy, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Saint-Erasme, Sainte-Croix and Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
The brotherhoods organize Holy Week Processions on the streets of the city, among which the most important are the Good Thursday and Friday.

The Processional Canopies
Each Holy Week Procession in Bonifacio sees the members of the confraternity carry a Baroque Processional Canopy on their shoulders.
This is a mobile wooden baldachin richly decorated with a statue of the saint patron of the brotherhood illuminated by paper lanterns, which during the evening processions, creates a deeply spiritual intimate atmosphere.


The Confraternity of Saint-Barthélémy
These wooden sanctuaries are more or less large depending on the Confraternities and consequently they can be very heavy and require even twenty men to be transported like the truly imposing one of the Confraternity of Saint-Barthélémy.
Normally the members of the confraternity participate in the Holy Week Processions with the costumes they belong to, praying and singing accompanied by a crowd of faithful.

Good Friday Processions
During the daytime processions of Good Friday, the cross bearer who opens the procession is barefoot and hooded.
The cross is covered with a white stole that represents the shroud of the empty tomb of Christ and is surmounted by a small braided palm tree that symbolizes Christ on the cross.


Popular participation in Holy Week
It is possible to take part in both the daytime processions of Good Friday and the night ones of Good Thursday.
The night of Good Thursday the five confraternities gather and bring all their sanctuaries with the saints patron, inside the cathedral of Sainte Marie Majeur in a magical moment of spirituality and prayer.

Hi, I’m Federica!
If you need more information:
See you soon!