The ecclesiastical part of the procession
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At the start of the procession the red and gold canopy for the
statue of San Potito and the bishop are made ready at the cathedral
door. Then the procession begins to emerge from the cathedral. |
| The confraternity members in white robes will have a leading role
in the procession. The men in blue will support the canopy along
the route. |
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The Bishop of Cerignola and Ascoli leads the procession along
with three priests. These are the cathedral archivist and suffragan
bishop (left), the parish priest of Santa Lucia (right), and the
archpriest (not in the picture). These senior ecclesiastics are
closely followed by the carabinieri and the statue of the saint.
The bishop carries the host and leads the prayers and devotional
hymns. The religious procession formally comes to an end with
his address to the assembled citizens in the main piazza |
| The statue bearers in red robes are male devotees who are normally
smallholders and farmers. Popular legend has it that on the only
occasion that the statue was carried by women, an earthquake occured
immediately afterwards. People with a particular devotion to the
saint (both men and women) will often sponsor one of the statue
bearers. The statue is extremely heavy. Halts are made at frequent
intervals along the route. Nowadays Ascolani claim that these
breaks simply provide well earned rest for the bearers, but the
strategic location of such stopping places suggest that they may
once have had much greater topological and ritual significance. |
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Members of the lay confraternity of Santa Maria del Soccorso,
in white robes, form part of the ecclesiastical procession. This
organisation is the last surviving example of a much wider system
of confraternities that existed in the past. At the turn of the
century, Ascoli had six separate confraternities catering for
different social classes. The confraternity of Santa Maria del
Soccorso is mainly composed of artisans. It owns considerable
urban and rural properties. Part of the revenues are used to provide
annual maritaggi (small cash dowries for deserving girls). |
| The procession is accompanied by devotional hymns led by the parish
priests, nuns and members of the confraternity. Portable loudspeakers
are carried by the priests' attendants |
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