EASTER ON THE AMALFI COAST

Religious events during Easter week

In the entire coastal area, it is widespread the tradition of the “Battenti”: hooded men dressed in white tunics, who, as a sign of penance, beat their breasts with their bare hands during religious processions. These scenes, always accompanied by songs and prayers, are able to evoke truly mystical scenarios. Watching them is a unique experience.

Below I show you some events you can take part in during Easter on the Amalfi Coast.

In Atrani on Holy Thursday it takes place one of the most touching and longest celebrations in the area. During this ceremony, the Battenti, illuminated by softly lit torches, parade while praying and singing until they reach Amalfi. 

On Holy Friday instead, in Amalfi, the Passion of Christ is not to be missed. Every year after sunset this procession comes to life near the Amalfi Cathedral: this choir of hooded people in white tunics sings the agony of the death of Christ, while they carry his statue and that of Mary surrounded by lighted torches. The procession proceeds slowly to the small church of San Nicola dei Greci, near the Town Hall, where Jesus is then placed in the tomb. 

The Way of the Cross on the Amalfi Coast

The Via Crucis also takes place in Maiori and Ravello, but it is in Minori that this event is considered one of the most evocative and moving on the entire coast. The procession takes place on the evening of Holy Thursday, and also here the Battenti have a part in the show.

They walk behind a large cross through not only the streets of the city center but also along its hamlets, parading through all of the city until the dawn of the following day. A particularly exciting moment is when, during the stops, the parade gathers in a circle, giving voice to ancient songs. It is interesting to know that their songs have remained identical to the originals from the fourteenth century and are handed down orally from father to son. Their songs are divided into "tono e vasce" (low tone) on Thursday and "tono ‘e coppe"(high tone) on Friday: it is certainly a masterful show, made unique by the perfect fusion of the two vocal tones.

Another beautiful artistic tradition of Minori is the creation of colored sawdust carpets.

These are pieces of art made with the use of poor materials only: sawdust mixed with marble dust, plaster, or stucco, used then to cover the floor of the Basilica of Santa Trofimena. The representations on these carpets attract not only the attention of the most curious tourists, but also that of the inhabitants of the area themselves, who every year go to the church to admire the surprising works of the skilled artists chosen for the occasion. 

Finally, we have also to mention Easter in Salerno, where the touching Via Crucis starts in the streets of the historic center and takes place with the participants wearing characteristic period costumes.

Typical Easter food of the Amalfi Coast

As we all know, Easter on the Amalfi Coast is not limited to religious processions, but also includes exquisite banquets with traditional dishes. On Easter, at the table, there is certainly no shortage of delicacies: the "fellata", an appetizer of hard-boiled eggs, sausages, cheeses, olives, tortano (a savory pie typical of Neapolitan cuisine), pasta al forno (baked in the oven) or minestra maritata (a complete dish with seasonal vegetables and different types of meat), followed by lamb dishes. Not to mention the desserts: the casatiello (a sort of low sponge cake covered with icing and sugared almonds, with a little lamb made of sugar in the center), the unmissable pastiera, and the delicious homemade chocolate eggs, finishing with a glass of limoncello as digestive. 

After the days of Lent, there is no better way to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.