The great Vergélitain night is divided into two distinct parts. The first begins at 10 PM in the main square, featuring a theatrical representation of the Mystery of the Passion—the final days of Jesus’s life. The second, more renowned part, is the procession itself. Together, they form the famous Verges Procession, a cornerstone of Holy Week in Verges.
The Theatrical Performance
The medieval atmosphere that Verges has masterfully preserved provides a natural and perfect setting for this performance: the Main Square. Despite occasional suggestions to move the event to a larger, more sheltered space to accommodate the growing crowds, good taste has prevailed, keeping it in its historic location.
The stage has two levels connected by stairs. The upper level is occupied by the Samaritan Woman, the angel offering the Chalice of Bitterness, Pilate, and the members of the Sanhedrin. Jesus remains on the lower level, accompanied by the apostles during the Last Supper or being scourged by **The Jews**.
The acts of the performance include:
- Jesus’s Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
- The Conversation with the Samaritan Woman
- The Last Supper
- The Sanhedrin or Betrayal of Jesus
- Entrance of the Dance of Death
- The Garden of Gethsemane
- The Judgment of Pilate
The performance concludes when The Jews arrest Jesus, lead him off the stage, and take him away, accompanied by the Manages. At this moment, the Procession through the streets of the town begins.
The Procession Through the Streets
All participants of the **Verges Procession** gather between the community hall and the Church, waiting for their turn to join. After descending the steep slope of Church Street and heading up Ribossà Street, the First Fall takes place in The Little Square, comprising several scenes.
The first scene is the Healing of the Blind Man. Jesus then encounters his mother, Veronica, and the Daughters of Jerusalem. After reciting their corresponding verses, they all join the Procession. The second fall occurs in the Plaça de l’Onze de Setembre, without any dialogue.
After the second fall and passing through the entire Carrer Ample, the Procession reaches one of its most anticipated points: the Carrer dels Cargols (Street of the Snails). After this street and Carrer del Migdia, they arrive at the Rec del Molí. They then continue along Carrer de la Font to the Main Square, where Jesus delivers a beautiful monologue during the third fall. There, the Cyrenian relieves him of the heavy burden of the cross (weighing 80 kilos), which he has patiently dragged through the streets.
The Crucifixion
The procession originally ended with the Cyrenian’s intervention, but in 1981, The Crucifixion was added to give the event more realism and interest. The Stabat Mater choir is also noteworthy; the piece they perform is a beautiful Latin prose with a Gregorian chant melody, added to the Roman missal in 1727, referring to the suffering of Our Lady of Sorrows at the foot of the cross.
Other almost unnoticed figures are the *perxoners*, who are responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly. They handle any material issues that may arise and even step in for any participant who must leave the procession for extreme reasons. There is one or two for each scene, with others providing general support among the rest of the characters.
The Procession reaches its climax when Jesus is crucified at the top of the stairs separating The Little Square from the Church. At first, spectators only hear the hammer blows from The Jews, who illuminate the scene with torches. Then, a single spotlight reveals the cross with Jesus nailed to it—now stripped of his tunic—being lifted by hand. Simultaneously, inside the church, the Dance of Death concludes its performance with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Last updated: April 8, 2026
