Scicli, a city with a population of approximately 30,000, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 300 BC. Over the centuries, it has seen a diverse range of occupants, including the Arabs, Normans, and Spanish. In 1693, a devastating earthquake razed the city, but it was subsequently rebuilt in the distinctive Sicilian Baroque style.
The start of the Easter festivities
It was a family day
People got their photos taken in front of roses
All dressed up for the occasion and getting their picture taken
The Carabinieri were out in full force.
The birdman. He was down to two birds by the end of the day.
A marching band accompanied the statue carriers.
Residents assembling where the parade would start.
They came in all sizes and shapes.
The crowd builds up.
Not sure this complied with the building code
I believe this group of young men were hoping to join the carriers.
A priest on his way to the start of the parade.
The statue of Christ is carried out of the church at the start of the parade. A lot of people raised their hands hailing the arrival.
The scariest photo I've ever taken. The carriers did a couple of 360s with the statue and pedestal that had to weigh as much as a car. I thought I might get squeezed against a brick ledge or carried under the statue.
The carriers tilted the statue sideways while doing 360s.
In the town square
Going into another church after about 4 hours of parading through the city.
This young man was one of the carriers and was definitely out of gas by the afternoon break. He could barely open his bottle of water. His wife did it for him.
The connection. A young woman smiles as she walks by an older woman enjoying the sights from her window.
Group of young men enjoying ice cream. I started taking a photo of three of them but they all wanted in.
Getting reading for the evening parade. A family poses with the statue in the church where it was housed in the late afternoon.
Fireworks were fired at several places along the evening parade route
Lights, lasers, music and smoke as the evening procession gets underway
This was shot at 1:20 a.m. as the parade was slowly winding down
Cleaning up after the parade. A crew takes down the parade light fixtures. Until next year.
