On Friday, February 20, one of the most intense and eagerly awaited moments of Holy Week in Trapani begins: the Lenten rites of the “scinnute” of the Sacred Groups of the Mysteries.
This year, the scinnute will take place in the Church of the Collegio, as the Church of the Holy Souls in Purgatory is currently closed for restoration works. The groups, transferred here in December, are therefore returning to a place that had already hosted them between 1947 and 1957, and from here they will also set out on Good Friday.
Throughout the entire season of Lent, worshippers and devotees gather in this baroque church in Trapani for moments of adoration. In turn, the groups are placed at the center of the altar, becoming the focal point of prayer and contemplation. Outside the church, as tradition dictates, a marching band performs the most famous funeral marches, creating a solemn and evocative atmosphere that makes these events particularly engaging for visitors as well.
The term scinnuta means “descent.” It dates back to the time when the Mysteries were kept in the ancient Church of San Michele, placed in elevated niches. Every Friday during Lent, they were lowered from their position, hence the name that remains in local dialect and collective memory.
Today, following the wartime destruction of the Church of San Michele, the physical “descent” no longer takes place in the same way, as the groups are positioned at ground level and are simply moved for adoration. From a historical perspective, the rite has changed, but it has not lost its charm. This living tradition, capable of renewing itself without losing its identity, continues to attract tourists and visitors who flock to Trapani during the Easter period.
Originally, the calendar provided for six scinnute each Friday of Lent, dedicated to the most representative scenes of Christ’s Passion: “Jesus in the Garden,” later replaced after World War II by “The Fall at the Cedron,” “Jesus before Annas,” “The Crowning with Thorns,” later replaced by “The Flagellation,” “The Sentence,” “The Ascent to Calvary,” and finally “Our Lady of Sorrows.”
Today, the rite is different: it involves multiple groups at the same time, is not limited to Fridays only, and also includes the two Madonnas who go out on Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday.
Here is this year’s calendar of the scinnute.
Friday, February 20: The Separation – Goldsmiths’ Guild The Washing of the Feet – Fishermen’s Guild
Tuesday, February 24: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – Gardeners’ Guild The Arrest – Metalworkers’ Guild
Friday, February 27: The Fall at the Cedron – Sailors’ Guild Jesus before Annas – Fruit Sellers’ Guild
Tuesday, March 3: The Denial – Barbers and Hairdressers’ Guild Jesus before Herod – Fishmongers’ Guild
Friday, March 6: The Flagellation – Builders and Stonemasons’ Guild The Crowning with Thorns – Bakers’ Guild
Tuesday, March 10: Ecce Homo – Shoemakers’ Guild The Sentence – Butchers’ Guild
Friday, March 13: The Ascent to Calvary – The People The Stripping of Garments – Textile and Clothing Guild
Tuesday, March 17: The Raising of the Cross – Carpenters and Cabinetmakers’ Guild The Wound to the Side – Painters and Decorators’ Guild
Friday, March 20: The Deposition – Tailors and Upholsterers’ Guild The Transport to the Tomb – Salt Workers’ Guild
Tuesday, March 24: Mother of Mercy of the Farmers – Heirs of the Porters of Piano San Rocco
Wednesday, March 25: Mother of Mercy of the People – Fruit Sellers’ Guild
Friday, March 27: Jesus in the Urn – Pasta Makers’ Guild Mary Most Holy of Sorrows – Guild of Drivers, Hoteliers, Bartenders, Waiters, Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Taxi Drivers
All “Scinnute” will be preceded by an outdoor musical performance at 6:00 pm. Prayer service at 7:00 pm. Outdoor musical performance until 8:00 pm.
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