As the echo of the procession’s footsteps fades in the streets and the Pietà remains in quiet contemplation in the Little Square, the most mystical and unknown act of the night takes place: the Surrender of Death. This is the moment where popular tradition and liturgy merge inside the parish church of Verges.
The Solitary Entrance of the Skeletons
Once the veneration of the Pietà is over, the Dance of Death group faces the final stretch of their journey. They are the only ones to cross the threshold of the church. As Jordi Roca i Rovira points out in his study, this is the ‘unique treasure’ that concludes the performance, a moment of transition from the street to the Sacred.
The Act of Submission Before the Holy Sacrament
Inside, in an atmosphere of dim light and absolute respect, Death performs its final act. That figure who for hours has reminded everyone with the scythe that ‘spares no one’, stops before the Monument. In a gesture of absolute surrender, Death bows before the Holy Sacrament.
It is a scene of great intensity where the clock and the scythe lose their arrogance to become symbols of submission before the divine. For the Vergélitains, this act is what truly gives meaning to all the suffering displayed throughout the night.
An Ending Without Applause
With this gesture, the cycle of the Procession is concluded. The members of the Dance withdraw in the most absolute silence. The Procession of Verges does not end with a grand spectacle, but with this deep peace that reigns in the church once Death has surrendered. It is the perfect closing for a tradition that, since 2001, I have been documenting with full rigor on my website.
