On the morning of Maundy Thursday, the entire town of Verges is abuzz with activity, and the weather is the main topic of conversation. The Maundy Thursday preparations in Verges are a beloved tradition, but they depend on a clear sky. The day often teases with clouds, but in the end, the outcome is always favourable. It’s a local belief that it never rains during the procession, and history seems to prove it right.
No one can remember the Verges Procession ever being cancelled due to bad weather. Not even the oldest residents have heard such a story from their predecessors. At most, the final stretch had to be rushed, as happened in 1974. Everyone insists that not a single drop falls until the last float has returned to the church. The haste of that year, however, was used to request financial aid from official bodies—aid that, while not lavish, was very well received.
In the Main Square, folding chairs transported by a pair of trucks are already being set up. The seats that will host the audience for the Passion play are the only elements of the night that come from outside the town. The open-air venue is cordoned off, but children still play on the stage as specialists add the final decorative touches.
All Set for the Passion Play
The stage decoration is sober. Red curtains, crowned by five lit torches, adorn the wall behind the stage, which corresponds to the square-based tower. The essential elements—Pilate’s throne, the table for the Last Supper, etc.—will be brought in tonight during the brief, dark pauses between acts and removed just as discreetly.
This morning, you cannot miss the preparation of the famous Snail Street (Carrer dels Cargols), one of the narrow streets off Carrer Ample. You won’t find it on a map with this name, but rather another: Orient Street.
Placing the snail shells is a ritual prepared with great care and anticipation by the neighbours. It is a tradition whose practice has adapted to modern times while preserving its original form, using a simple paste of ash and water to affix the shells to the walls.
Adorning the Sacred Mysteries
Another sight worth seeing is how four of the five “mysteries” (sacred processional scenes) are adorned: the Pistolets, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Nazarene, and the Pietà. The fifth, the Holy Christ, is so austere that it needs no flowers and will remain in the church until nightfall.
All the statues, sculpted in Olot, are of great beauty and perfection. They weigh between 150 and 200 kilograms and are transported on wheeled platforms. The two lightest are exceptions: the Holy Christ, supported by one man with the help of two others, and Our Lady of Sorrows, carried by a team of eight women who take turns in groups of four for over three hours.
Maundy Thursday Preparations by Neighbourhood
Each mystery is decorated in a different neighbourhood, and unlike in other places, those in charge do not form any sort of confraternity. This is one of the unique features of the Holy Week in Verges.
The earliest to start decorate Our Lady of Sorrows inside a house, as the steep street would make it unstable. They use yellow carnations and white gladioli. In The Little Square, others adorn the Nazarene with only white lilies, working on the ground floor of a home.
The people of Carrer dels Bous make more of a stir, blocking traffic to adorn the Pietà right in the middle of the street. They take their time, even taking a lunch break, using red and pink carnations for their stunning display.
Finally, neighbours from the “outer quarter” cheerfully decorate their Pistolets under a school’s porches. They use a mix of carnations, gladioli, and garden greenery to bring the scene to life.
The Pistolets mystery represents the Scourging at the Pillar or the Crowning with Thorns. The scene depicts Jesus with his hands tied, mocked by two men with staffs. Its unique name comes from a local story about two mischievous brothers nicknamed “Pistolets.” When the mystery was first unveiled, the resemblance between the sculpted figures of the tormentors and the brothers was so striking that the scene was nicknamed after them forever.
Final Touches Across the Village
The last activity to witness during the morning is the placement of torches on the walls of the medieval streets. These will light the way for the procession, setting a dramatic and ancient stage for the events of the night.
Last updated: April 7, 2026
