Once the drama of the Crucifixion is over, the atmosphere in Verges transforms. The Little Square falls silent, a bare stage where only the figure of Jesus on the cross remains.
This is the moment of the Pietà, the final stop on Christ’s journey and the most emotional point of the entire Verges Pietà Scene.
The Verges Pietà Scene: The Ritual of the Descent
Following a script that the people of Verges have kept perfectly intact, the scene of the Descent from the Cross is performed with extreme care. Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Saint John, and the Virgin Mary approach the cross with the necessary tools: a ladder, a shroud, a hammer, and pliers.
While Saint John accompanies the Virgin Mary to her seat at the foot of the cross, the men proceed to un-nail Jesus. This act, carried out with absolute solemnity, marks a shift from the harshness of The Jews to a profound respect for the figure of Christ.
Mary and the Body of Jesus: The Final Tableau
The culminating moment is when the men place Jesus in his mother’s lap. In a gesture full of sorrow and dignity, she gently covers him with a piece of her own cloak.
At this point, the other characters retreat into the background behind the cross, leaving the absolute focus on the mother and her son.
It is here that the Dance of Death performs its adoration before the body of Jesus. This is the final tribute of the night outside the church, creating a powerful visual contrast between the triumph of Death and the sorrow of the Pietà.
The Procession’s Farewell to the Streets
Unlike other traditions, in Verges the body of Jesus is not carried in a procession to the church. The Pietà scene concludes the drama in The Little Square.
As the townspeople stand in silence, the figure of Death moves away to face the last act of the night: its solitary entrance into the church for the final Surrender.
