At midnight between Holy Thursday and Holy Friday, the solemn Pilgrimage dedicated to the Beata Vergine Addolorata begins. The sacred statue of the Mother of God is carried in procession by the venerable Confraternita di Maria Santissima Addolorata e San Domenico.
The grand sacred procession starts at the millennia-old Chiesa di San Domenico, in the heart of the old city, and winds its way through the streets until the first light of dawn, when it reaches the vibrant center of the modern city. The total duration of this majestic procession is approximately 14 hours.
The devout confraternity members wear ritual garments, consisting of a white tunic fitted at the waist, adorned with a rosary enriched with sacred medals hanging on the right side of the tunic. On the opposite side, a black fabric belt highlights their devotion. They also wear a black mozzetta, on which is inscribed a medallion depicting the Madre Addolorata, and a white hood that covers their face throughout the night, with two openings for the eyes. Their attire is completed with a black hat, a simulated crown of thorns on the head, along with black shoes and white gloves.
The procession begins with the distinctive sound of the "troccola," a wooden instrument that resonates through the air, followed by the figures of the "pesàre," young devotees participating in the event. Then come the Croce dei Misteri, the crociferi, the 14 pairs of confraternity members called "poste," the throne, and finally the statue of the Addolorata, carried on the shoulders of four devout confraternity members in sacred attire, accompanied by an equal number of darkly dressed fork-bearers.
