In Campobasso, the spectacular Procession of the Mysteries, a religious and folkloric event unique in Italy, comes to life on Corpus Christi day. This parade of allegorical floats, conceived in the 18th century by sculptor Paolo Saverio Di Zinno, depicts sacred scenes through figurants suspended on ingenious metal structures.
The Mysteries have their roots in medieval sacred plays, used to narrate religious episodes to the people. From the 16th century, Campobasso’s confraternities began organizing performances on wooden stages, later transformed into mobile carts carried in procession.
In 1748, Di Zinno designed 24 “Ingegni,” wooden and iron structures designed to support the figures and placed on wooden stretchers carried on the shoulders. Six of these failed to pass testing, and another six were destroyed in the 1805 earthquake. Thirteen remain today, including the most recent, the Most Holy Heart, created in 1959 by the Tucci workshop. The others depict saints, angels and devils. Among them are St. Isidore, St. Crispin, St. Gennaro, St. Leonard, Abraham and the Immaculate Conception.The most characteristic, however, are those with devils, St. Michael and St. Anthony Abbot on which, year after year, skits are repeated between a devil and a maiden.
After the suppression of the confraternities in the 19th century, the organization of the procession passed to the municipality, which is now joined by the Mysteries and Traditions Association, which also runs the Mystery Museum.
The event follows a precise schedule:
- 8:00 a.m. – Mass in the forecourt of the Museum
- 9:00 – Dressing of the Mysteries
- 10:00 – Beginning of the procession
- 13:30 – Blessing of the Mysteries
- 13:45 – Return to the Museum.
The procession passes through the historic center and the main city streets accompanied by three bands playing Rossini’s “Moses” to the amazement of the audience. The Mysteries, with their suspended figures, create the illusion of floating angels and saints, offering an exciting and evocative spectacle that blends faith, art and tradition.
This celebration, which continues to enchant residents and visitors alike, represents an invaluable cultural heritage, keeping alive an ancient expression of popular devotion.