In the Christian calendar, Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples. For the people of Verges, this day marks the peak of Holy Week, where the story of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and the ultimate crucifixion is brought to life.
The day also commemorates Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the Last Supper, Jesus went to the garden, where he often gathered with his disciples to pray.
According to the Gospels, it was a place frequently visited by both Jesus and his disciples, which allowed Judas to find him there. The Gospels describe the agonizing sorrow that overcame him at that moment. The Nazarene’s response was to pray and warn the apostles that the soldiers guided by Judas Iscariot were approaching to arrest him.
In the past, Maundy Thursday was a day of silence. People would stay home and practice fasting. As a sign of respect, church bells would not chime the hours. In some places, silent processions are held, reenacting the capture, crucifixion, agony, and death of Christ.
Maundy Thursday in Verges
The reasons that drive an entire town to celebrate this event, fighting side-by-side to succeed gracefully each year, are not necessarily religious, even if the acts themselves have a religious nature.
The motivations that compel the people of Verges to come together and share a common passion are diverse and probably so deep that they may not even know them themselves.
Atheists, agnostics, and the faithful; the cheerful and the grumpy; children, youth, and the elderly; people of different social statuses… no one misses this event.
If someone cannot be present for an unavoidable reason, they are sure to be the most sullen and nostalgic person on earth that day. This is the great mystery of the Verges Procession.
The celebration of Maundy Thursday is the culmination of a week of preparations, as detailed in our complete guide to Holy Week in Verges. The day itself can be divided into two main parts: the great day and the great night. These are further subdivided into the morning and the afternoon, and the theatrical representation and the procession, respectively.
Last updated: April 7, 2026
