Holy Week in this hamlet of Baronia is an opportunity to hand down ancient rituals which are re-newed each year with colours and delightful songs. The canto a tenore is the key player during Orosei’s Holy Week. The so called Gotzos accompany the sacred moments, combining the art of ancient songs with the Christian rituals of the Passion of Christ and Easter.
It is not just about song. On Holy Tuesday, the five statues of the passion of Christ, called sos Tziomos go on display: sacred sculptures which represent the different moments of Christ’s pain and anguish.
Holy Thursday is when Sa chirca is held, an intensely moving moment which retraces Mary’s distressing search for Jesus. In Orosei, this involves eight stages corresponding with the churches in the old town centre. On this occasion, the Cantores del Cuncurdu exhibit their art of singing with the Gotzos de su Rosariu.
Accompanying Good Friday are the Gotzos de s’Interru, in harmony with the choir from the confraternity of Santa Croce.
The first few days of Holy Week full of pain are contrasted by the joy of the s’Incontru on Easter Sunday in the town’s main square. This is the conclusion to Holy Week in Orosei, in a climate of song and celebrating crowds.
