UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio

The Processions are held in Mendrisio on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday every year. An unmissable and unique event, where history becomes a spectacle in the perpetuation of tradition. As they make their way through the streets of the town, a soft light is given off by the “Trasparenti”, translucent paintings on canvas mounted on “boxes” and lit up from within. Crafted using a special technique dating back to the eighteenth century, the “Trasparenti” are a characteristic feature of the Processions and a fundamental element of the candidacy. The Maundy Thursday Procession represents the Passion and the Stations of the Cross, featuring around 270 participants. The Good Friday Procession is more austere and solemn, with over 700 participants.

Factsheet
Date of Inscription

2019

Category

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Region

Ticino

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Good to know
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
The virtual tour to discover the "Museo del Trasparente" of Mendrisio. Explore the beauty of the Museo del Trasparente, opened in 2017 at Casa Croci, and ...
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Good to know
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
The virtual visit to discover the "Transparenti" along the route of the Holy Week processions in Mendrisio. Experience walking through the streets of the ...
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Education
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
During the Easter period the streets of Mendrisio's old town become an open-air museum. Learn what the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Holy Week Processions ...
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Events
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
  17. – 18.04.2025
The Processions are held in Mendrisio on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday every year. An unmissable and unique event, where history becomes a spectacle in the perpetuation ...
Learn more
Good to know
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
Compared to the Funziun di Giüdee, the Good Friday procession, which was also called Entierro, meaning funeral, burial of the Christ) in ...
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Good to know
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
The Funziun di Giüdee, the organisation of which was ensured by the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, might on the surface appear to be a kind of sacred ...
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Visitor centre
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
Casa Croci, a small 19th-century architectural gem, house the Museo del Trasparente of Mendrisio (Illuminated Paintings Museum). This will be the first exhibition ...
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Our heritage
Holy Week Processions in Mendrisio
What is your role in the Processions of the Holy Week of Mendrisio? I have been officially involved in the organization of the processions for about 52 years, and ...
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