The rites of Holy Week in Alghero

The strong Catalan and Spanish identity gives Alghero something unique and special in terms of emotional appeal and setting. Perfumes and gestures that come from the Middle Ages up to us. Holy Week 2023 in Alghero: the spectacular Holy Week of Alghero is back again this year, a unique event of great charm, with rites and traditions with a medieval flavor, which acquire even more charm thanks to the widespread use of the Catalan language, the incredible breathtaking views of the city in the north-west of Sardinia.

In fact, the “Setmana Santa" of Alghero – with its rites, processions, brotherhoods, songs and litanies in Catalan – is among the most fascinating events of Holy Week in Sardinia.

Well, the Setmana Santa of Alguer – whose origins date back to around 1600, during the Spanish domination – this year will take place from 31 March to 9 April 2023, in memory of the passion and resurrection of Christ.
Holy Week Alghero, 2023 program:
Friday, March 31, 2023 – Passion Friday:

 20:00 – Procession of Our Lady of Sorrows, route: from the Church of San Francesco, via C. Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Via Santa Barbara, Via Cavour,
 Via Don Deroma, Via P. Umberto, Via G. Ferret, Via Simon, Via Roma, Via C. Alberto, Church of San
 Francesco, Return of the Confraternity to the Church of Mercy.

Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Palm Sunday:

 10:00 – Church of San Francesco – Blessing of the Palms, followed by a procession towards the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Route: Via P. Umberto, Via G. Ferret, Via C. Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Cathedral.

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 – Holy Tuesday:

 8.00 pm – Procession of the Mysteries, route: from the Church of San Francesco, Via C. Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Homily in the Cathedral, Piazza Duomo, Via Santa Barbara, Via Cavour, Via Don Deroma, Via P. Umberto, Via G Ferret, Largo San Francesco, Via Kennedy, Via XX Settembre, Via S. Agostino, Via V. Veneto, Via V. Emanuele, Via Roma, Via C. Alberto, Church of San Francesco, return to the Church of Misericordia..

Thursday, April 6, 2023 – Maundy Thursday:

 10:00 – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Chrism Mass presided over by Father Mauro Maria Morfino
 18:30 - Cathedral of Santa Maria - Mass in "Coena Domini" presided over by Father Mauro Maria Morfino and ritual of foot washing.
 21:00 - Procession for the Eucharistic visit (Les Cerques), the faithful are invited to wear dark clothes, route: Church of Misericordia, Via Misericordia, Church of San Michele, Via C. Alberto, Via G. Ferret, Largo San Francesco, Via Kennedy, Via XX Settembre, Via Giovanni XXIII, Via Monsignor Ciuchini, Church of Mercede, Via Monsignor Ciuchini, Via Giovanni XXIII, Via XX Settembre, Via Kennedy, Largo San Francesco, Via G. Ferret, Via C. Alberto, Church of San Francesco, Via C. Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Cathedral, Piazza Duomo, Via Santa Barbara, Via Cavour, Via Don Deroma, Via P. Umberto and return to the Church of Misericordia.
 10.00 pm – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Eucharistic Adoration at the Altar of Reposition

Holy Week in Alghero, rites and processions
Holy Week in Alghero, rites and processions (source: Alghero Municipality Facebook page)
Friday, April 7, 2023 – Good Friday:

 08:00 - Cathedral of Santa Maria - Office of readings and Morning Lodi
 11:20 am - Procession of the Via Crucis, the faithful are invited to wear dark clothes, route: Church of Mercy, Via P.Umberto, Via G.Ferret, Via C.Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria.
 11:40 am – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Raising of Christ.
 16:00 – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Liturgical Celebration of the Passion of the Lord presided over by Father Mauro Maria Morfino. Reading of the Lord's Passion, Adoration of the Cross, Eucharistic Communion.
 20:00 – Procession of the Descent, the faithful are invited to wear dark clothes, route: Church of Mercy, Via P. Umberto, Via G. Ferret, Via C. Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Cathedral.
 20:30 – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Rite of Descendancy
 External projection of the function in Piazza Duomo and live TV on Catalan TV, channel 15.
 21:30 – Procession of Good Friday, the faithful are invited to wear dark clothes, route: Cathedral, Via Santa Barbara, Via Cavour, via Don Deroma, Via P. Umberto, Via G.Ferret, Via Cavour, Bastioni C. Colombo, Via C. Alberto, Via G. Ferret, Largo San Francesco, Via Kennedy, Piazza Sulis, Lungomare Dante, Via Gramsci, Via Pascoli, Via Sassari, Via Carducci, Piazza della Mercede, Via Nuoro, Via S. Agostino , Via V. Veneto, Via V. Emanuele, Via Roma, Via C. Alberto, Via G. Ferret, Via P. Umberto, Misericordia Church. Numerous choirs participate (list of choirs being updated).

Saturday, April 8, 2023 – Holy Saturday:

 21:00 – Cathedral of Santa Maria – Solemn Easter Vigil, Liturgy of Light, Liturgy of the Word, Baptismal and Eucharistic Liturgy presided over by Father Mauro Maria Morfino

Sunday, April 9, 2023 – Holy Easter:

09:00 – Procession of the Madonna, route: Church of San Francesco, Via C. Alberto, Bastioni C. Colombo ang. Via C. Alberto (Meeting)
09:30 – Procession of the Risen Jesus, route: Church of Misericordia, Via Misericordia, Bastioni C. Colombo ang. Via C. Alberto (Meeting)
09:45 – Bastioni C. Colombo, Corner of Via C. Alberto – Meeting of the Risen Jesus with the Madonna, blanks by the Ass. Tanda Armory Hunters Group
09:50 – Procession, route: via C. Alberto, via G. Ferret, Largo San Francesco, via Kennedy, Via XX Settembre, Via La Marmora, Via V. Emanuele, Via Roma, Via C.Alberto, Piazza Duomo, Cathedral.
10:30 am – Solemn Mass celebrated by Father Mauro Maria Morfino.
12:00 :
Return of the procession to the Church of Mercy: Piazza Duomo, Via Santa Barbara, Via Don Deroma, Via P.Umberto, Church of Mercy.
Cathedral of Santa Maria – Holy Mass.

Sunday, April 16, 2023 – 2nd Sunday of Easter:

 11:00 am – Sanctuary of N.S. di Valverde – Holy Mass officiated by Father Mauro Maria Morfino, the Olmedese Incantos Polyphonic Choir Association accompanies the function

Collateral events of Algherese Holy Week:

 updated to 2023 in the next few days

Holy Week in Alghero – Further information:

In Alghero the rites of Holy Week begin on Passion Friday – the Friday before Palm Sunday – with the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows (or “Processó de Nostra Senyora de les Set Dolors" in Catalan) and end on Easter Sunday with the procession of the Madonna and the Risen Christ (the “Encontre“). The protagonists are the wooden statue of SantCristus with its fascinating history (see below), the faithful who walk the streets of the city amidst the sounds and silences of prayers in Catalan, next to the Germans Blancs, the Confraria del Gonfalò of the Fraternity of Our Lady of Mercy and to the brothers of the Confraternity guests from Catalonia.
The Santcristus of Alghero:

In Alghero, Holy Week revolves around the wooden Christ of Alicante, better known as Santcristus, brought by sea in the Spanish era – after the shipwreck of the sailing ship Santa Maria di Monte Negro, bound for Genoa, which took place on 18 January 1606 – and immediately became object of popular veneration, around which a very complex rite has developed over time which lives its most intense moment during the Setmana Santa.

Where is Alghero, Hotel and B&B map:

To fully experience the atmosphere of Holy Week in Alghero it is necessary to stay at least a couple of days in the city, there are many hotel and non-hotel accommodation facilities open for the occasion, book them online now.
For more information and updates:

For more info on the Holy Week you can usually contact the Tourist Information Office of the City of Alghero – which also keeps Alghero’s official tourist site updated – and which you can find in Piazza Porta Terra, 9 (Telephone: +39 079 979054 – Email: infotourist@alghero-turismo.it).