Archive for 'April'

Man Ray was one of the most famous American artists of the 20th century. A causal follower of both the Dada and Surrealist movements, he worked in a variety of media and considered himself, first and foremost, a painter above all but is best known for his photography. In particular, he is famous for his work with photograms, his so-called "rayographs." Most iconic is his image, “Ingres's Violin,” which transposes the f-holes of a violin on a nude by one of Man Ray's heroes, the 19th century French painter, Ingres.

The Shroud of Turin is a mysterious object which has been drawing pilgrims to Turin, Italy for centuries. Much debate has always surrounded the Shroud with people wondering where it came from, how the markings on it were made, if it is Jesus Christ who is depicted and how old it is. We will, perhaps, never know the answers to some of these questions. The Shroud, however, is still fascinating for those interested in history, faith, religion and science alike. If you want to see it for yourself you could find a vacation rental nearby and make a trip to view it this year. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime trip as the Shroud is being shown in a rare exposition.

If you’re spending Easter in Italy then why not check out one or some of these enchanting events? Continuing on from our two other articles which detail several Easter celebrations, let’s finish with these three festivals.

The ‘Processione dei Misteri’ is the oldest Easter Festival in Italy and is hosted in the city of Trapani on Sicily Island. It has been celebrated at Easter here for over four hundred years!

This 24 hour event consists of twenty huge artistic carved representations of scenes from the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ.

Continuing on from part one of our description of the best Easter festivals to attend in Italy, here are a few more exciting events you could witness! See the unusual ‘La Madonna Che Corre in Piazza’ which takes place in Sulmona, Abruzzo. This translates as ‘The Virgin Mary who races through the Square’!

Strange as the name sounds, the meaning of it goes back to the story of the mourning Mary after the death of her son Jesus on the cross. At first she finds it hard to believe that he has been resurrected and ascended into heaven but when she realises and sees that he has risen from the dead, she races towards him!

The Easter Season in Italy is widely celebrated and represents the second most endeared time of year after Christmas. The traditions of the following festivals evolved from the Catholic belief that this was when Jesus Christ was crucified. Then he was buried and on the third day, ascended into heaven.

The first of our top ten Easter festivals takes place in Oliena, Sardinia.

A solemn procession takes place on Easter Sunday when the townsfolk carry statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary through the streets. This represents the heartfelt search of Jesus’s mother Mary for her son after his mysterious disappearance from the tomb before she realises he has ascended into heaven.