Cuglieritan Holy Week

Discover

An immersion in the magic of Holy Week in Cuglieri, where ancient rites are repeated unchanged along the streets of the town’s historic center retracing the events of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Its rites begin on Thursday, concluding on Easter Sunday.
Late on Maundy Thursday, after the Mass “in coena Domini,” the procession “de sas chilcas” or the search by the “Marys” together with the simulacrum of Our Lady of Sorrows, hosted by the “Convent” church, for the dead Christ takes place through the streets of the village to the churches where the Sepulchres have been set up.
This is the same procession that left in the afternoon from the “Convent” church to the Basilica for the celebration of Mass.
Friday is the most eventful and emotional day, the one with the greatest participation of the faithful.
In the morning, in the church of “Convento,” in the presence of the priest who recites the Miserere and the confraternity of Convento the simulacrum of Christ is nailed to the cross.
This is the representation of the crucifixion of Jesus or “Ingravamentu.”
Immediately afterwards, around 11:00 a.m., a penitent, accompanied only by the confraternity of Convento and the faithful, carries on his shoulders, without any pause until the Basilica, “sa contra rughe,” a heavy wooden cross that will be raised in the center of the transept and will be the support for the cross on which the simulacrum of Christ has been nailed, in the church of “Convento.”
Around noon, again from the church of “Convent,” the procession with the Crucifix will depart directly to the Basilica.
At the end of the homily, the procession returns to
“Convent” accompanied by the choirs that, behind the simulacrum of Our Lady of Sorrows, perform the Stabat Mater sequentia.
The afternoon procession winds through the village streets to the Basilica: the choirs, arranged in a semicircle behind Our Lady of Sorrows and the priest, sing the Stabat Mater sequentia.
In the Basilica of Santa Maria della Neve, the paraliturgy of the deposition takes place, experienced as a dramatic act that has been performed for a long time.
At the end of the paraliturgy, a procession is formed again and, at
late evening, slowly makes its way back to the “Convent” church where the choirs, before the litter with the dead Christ is laid down by the brethren and left to the devotion of the faithful, conclude the singing of the “Miserere.”
Text taken from Senafer – Multimedia CD

On Easter Sunday, starting from the church of Santa Croce, the community accompanies the statue of Christ and his Mother until it arrives in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Neve, where the sacred rite de S’Incontru (the meeting) takes place, preceding the celebration of Mass.