For those who live in big cities where the hum drum of daily life lends a certain anonymity to our thoughts and actions, a visit to the lovely town of Sessa Aurunca to see an important religious celebration can take on the feeling of a fantastic and surreal voyage. The period leading up to Easter is full of fascinating appointments, even for those who do not follow the religious rites. Sessa Aurunca boasts an ancient tradition which is cherished by its inhabitants who, on the night of Good Friday, take to the streets in confraternities which follow ancient symbolic routes through the town, chanting solemn and devotional hymns. If you follow the procession it is impossible not to be drawn - whether you are a believer or not - into the medieval atmosphere which feels at once sacred and pagan.

The night is beautiful; the villagers and visitors stroll along the crowded streets, greeting one another and jostling to find the best places to view the procession, the most fortunate looking on from balconies of the first-floor appartments. The procession is headed by the brothers of the confraternity who intone a particularly odd and resonating chant. Following them, in the distance, you can see the statues representing various moments of the Passion of Christ being carried on the shoulders of the other members, all are dressed in long black, hooded robes. They are followed by men women and children bearing torches and candles. The statue bearers have a characterstic gait, taking small steps and oscillating from side to side. They stop in the larger squares which are illuminated by huge bonfires made of olive branches leaping to enormous heights. The occasion is not a happy one; the hymns, the intonations, the rosaries commemorate pain, but somehow the overall feeling is not sad. Seeing the animation of an entire town coming together to maintain an ancient custom becomes an equally important act of cultural identity.

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