Easter at Assisi is certainly one of the best times of the year. The city of Saint Francis, world synonymous of spirituality and ancient traditions, lives the resurrection of Christ with participation and intensity. In addition it’s spring and the Subasio becomes covered with colorful flowers; shops, museums, hotels, restaurants, everything in the town is reborn more beautiful than before.
For many people it’s the opportunity for the first excursion of the year and Assisi is exactly the right city.
The events of Easter 2020 offer, as every year, a show of great suggestion between faith, passion and folklore. The liturgical events are focused in four key moments: Holy Week, Triduum, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
In Assisi, the traditional paraliturgical rites of the Easter Triduum (Thursday 9, Friday 10 and Saturday 11, April) are among the most characteristic of Umbria. It begins on Holy Thursday in the Cathedral of San Rufino, with “Scavigliazione” (ie the Deposition of the Crucifix), a tradition that takes inspiration from a fourteenth-century laud on the Passion, actually called “Lauda of Scavigliazione”.
On the morning of Good Friday, the dead Christ is transferred from the cathedral of San Rufino, home of the Patron Saint of Assisi, to the Basilica of St. Francis with a path that passes through the main citizen monasteries. In the afternoon, in the church of S. Maria Maggiore it’s celebrated “Three Hours of Agony”. In the evening, with the city lit by torches, It take place the impressive procession of the Brotherhoods, attended by all the ancient brotherhoods the Assisi. The route starts in San Rufino and arrives at the Basilica of St. Francis where it departs again to get back in the cathedral with the Dead Christ. After that, in these two sanctuaries is celebrated the Vigil that ends in late evening with the Mass.
Easter Sunday is the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord. The day starts well, with the traditional Easter breakfast Umbrian: Torta di Pasqua with cheese and sweet, capocollo, boiled eggs, torcolo, chocolate. The appointment of the morning, in all the churches in the city, is the Mass. The religious functions follow one another without interruption throughout the morning and some are celebrated also in the early afternoon.
Easter Monday is the time of the traditional Pasquetta excursion. The heart is lightweight, next day it will return to work, but we still have a whole day for us. The Natural Park of Mount Subasio is ready to wrap us of greenery, flowers, landscapes and views from the past; picnic or restaurant serving typical Umbrian dish and then relax.
For your Easter 2020 holiday in Umbria, you can consult our offers: cottages, hotels, apartments, country houses in Assisi.
Good Friday 2019. Good Friday is a Christian religious holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.
Unlike Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day which all fall on fixed dates, Easter can be anytime between March 22 and April 25. In 2019 it falls on Sunday, April 21.
Good Friday is therefore April 19, and the Easter Monday bank holiday is on April 22.