Easter is a deeply felt moment throughout Italy, but in Campobasso it takes on an even more intense meaning thanks to the traditional Good Friday procession, which has been held continuously since 1626. This celebration was born out of the pact of concord between the Crusader and Trinitarian confraternities, and has become an essential event for the local community.
What makes this procession unique is the evocative atmosphere that envelops the historic center at sunset. More than seven hundred singers, men and women divided by tonality, intone the famous hymn “Teco vorrei, o Signore,” a poignant melody that resounds through the streets well before the procession arrives. The song, composed in the early 1900s by Campobasso maestro Michele De Nigris on texts by Pietro Metastasio, amplifies the sense of devotion and emotion.
The procession kicks off at 6 p.m. from the Church of St. Mary of the Cross and passes first through the historic center and then through the modern part of the city. A particularly poignant moment is the stop at places symbolic of suffering, such as the prison, before returning to the church. At the head of the procession is the body of Christ, followed by the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, which symbolizes Mary’s grief over the death of her Son.
The origins of this tradition go back to the 16th century, when congregations of Crusaders and Trinitarians used to intone the “Lament of the Most Holy Madonna” during the procession, then known as “Il Mortorio.” Even today, the singing and solemnity of the rite evoke intense emotional participation, involving believers and visitors in an experience of deep faith and recollection.