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2015-2017 Nocera Terinese, Italy.
An ancestral and rare rite takes place in a small town called Nocera Terinese, in the South of Italy. It speaks about the strong faith and belief in Jesus Christ that keep people representing the crucifixion and his death calvary on the good Friday night and all day on the holy Saturday. The event starts at the beginning of the evening with a procession following the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows - a "Pietà" built in the XVII century - in the main street of the town. The Vattiente (flagellant) makes his way throughout the crowd to appear in front of the statue followed by his "Ecce Homo" and starts to hit himself with a cork disc in which there are inserted thirteen glass splinters (representing Jesus, the Apostles, and Judas) causing blood spill. The wounds are constantly washed through the way with wine. The Vattiente perform the rite for various reasons including as a sign of devotion, to fulfil a vow, to feel closer to Jesus, to revive the memory of ancestors, or just to show off his masculinity. He makes several stopovers in front of the town's churches and in the doorways of families' and friends' houses, during the procession. It’s believed that in the days after the rite it will rain to wash out all the blood spilt on the streets of the town. |
