On Friday, there is the chiamata della Madonna[calling of the Madonna] that opens the via Crucis of the town. The Desolate statue is carried from the church of the Suffering Mary to the mother church (the two churches are a few tens of meters away). Here, after the sermon the Crucifix is placed in the hands of the Virgin, after which the statue is carried in a procession along the Via Crucis until the Calvario [Calvary]. The band is made up of only two trumpets and a drum and it accompanies the various moments of the via Crucis. Upon the return of the confraternity in the church of the Suffering Mary, the band plays i lamenti[the lamentations] of the Madonna for the entire night.
At dawn, on Saturday morning, the big procession unwinds through the streets of the city; the Dead Christ and the Desolate are carried on the shoulders of the confraternity, accompanied by two bands of 25 elements to accompany different moments of prayer. The men wear the typical black hooded robe. Their head is wrapped in a crown of thorns. They have a red band on their side and a pierced metal heart hanging from their neck; a symbol of brotherhood. The women wear simple black dresses and an embroidered black veil on their head. During the big morning procession all the most important associations of the city are present; the city’s administration, the confraternity, the Suffering Mary and many, many faithful.
