The great night in Verges unfolds in three moments of one celebration: the Passion play in the plaça Major, the Procession through the streets and the conclusion with the Crucifixion and the Descent from the Cross. The performance in the square requires a ticket; the street Procession can be followed in the village streets. When the theatre leaves the square, the whole village becomes a stage.
The Passion play in the plaça Major
The medieval walls and towers provide a setting that would be hard to recreate elsewhere. Verse, characters and lighting tell episodes from the life of Jesus up to his condemnation. The scenes include:
- El Ram, or Jesus entering Jerusalem.
- The Samaritan Woman.
- The Last Supper.
- The Sanhedrin, or the Betrayal of Jesus.
- The entrance of the Dance of Death.
- The Garden of Gethsemane.
- Pilate’s Sentence.
The condemnation leads into the journey to Calvary. The groups prepare to join the procession and the performance continues beyond the square. This is more than a parade: scenes and dialogue are part of the route itself.
The Procession through the streets
The first fall is performed in the Placeta, with the healing of the blind man, the Three Marys and Veronica. Many villagers know these lines by heart, yet torchlight gives the scenes a particular intensity.
In the Association’s current account, the Daughters of Jerusalem appear at the second fall in the plaça de l’Onze de Setembre, where Simon of Cyrene takes the cross. This differs from the older account on this website, which placed Simon’s intervention at the third fall.
One of the most eagerly awaited places is the carrer dels Cargols. The tiny flames in the snail shells transform everyday streets into a setting that is best understood as the Procession passes through. Later, Jesus’ monologue at the third fall leads towards the closing scenes.
The Crucifixion and the end of the night
The Association’s current website describes a finale with the Crucifixion and the Descent from the Cross, using audiovisual effects. The Stabat Mater accompanies Mary’s farewell. Its page on the Crucifixion gives further details.
Memories of an earlier staging
The older version of this article described hammer blows, torches and a single spotlight revealing the raised cross on the steps between the Placeta and the church. That image belongs to the Procession’s history, but should not be mistaken for a complete account of the present staging.
Serrà also describes, for the period she observed in 1996, the Dance’s subsequent entry into the church and its bow before the Blessed Sacrament. This memory is explored further in Surrender of Death; that observation alone does not establish it as part of the present production.
There is also work that is easy to miss: that of the perxoners and other helpers supporting the procession. They keep things running, deal with equipment problems and assist performers when needed. Without this quiet work, the great night would not be possible.
Times and admission
The Association’s information, checked in October 2026, gives 9.30 pm for the play, around 11.30 pm for the start of the street Procession and after 1.30 am for the Crucifixion. These are reference times, not advance confirmation of the next edition: check the programme and ticket information before planning your visit.
To see how this night fits into the wider celebrations, return to the day-by-day Holy Week guide.
The return of the living Crucifixion in 1980
The night also has a history of change. The living Crucifixion revived in 1980 marks a new stage in the final tableau. Contemporary newspapers and the study in the 2011 edition support that date; it does not mean this was the first Crucifixion in the entire history of Verges.
Aureli Serra’s memories describe his role as Jesus and the cross commissioned from Can Carolà. The name identifies the workshop, but does not establish who built it. These accounts help explain an earlier staging and must be distinguished from the production described by the organisers today.
Explore this episode further in the history of the Crucifixion.
Sources for this addition
Contemporary newspapers from 1980 and La Processó de Verges, 2011 edition. Interview with Aureli Serra in the Memòria Viva La Processó project, analysed as part of this research. Màriam Serrà, Verges i la processó que no es veu (1998), pp. 134–137: the indoor bow in the 1996 account.
