Lamintanza – dirge

During Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday, several celebrations take place in Caltanissetta. On Wednesday, representatives of the different professions meet according to a precise ritual and come in procession to the cathedral for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. On the following day, Thursday, the procession of the Mysteries takes place, with papier-mâché, wooden and terracotta statues parading, representing the last moments and Jesus’ passion. Finally, on Good Friday, the procession of the Black Christ takes place. 

During the procession of the Black Christ, the lamintanza or ladata takes place. Lamintanza is a dirge dedicated to the Passion of Christ sung by male voices. The singers of the lamintanza are the Fogliamari or Figghiamari: one of the city’s historical groups of workers, the wild bitter herb gatherers. According to tradition, the Fogliamari were the ones who found the wooden statue of the Black Christ in a cave near the town. Today, the statue of Christ is carried in procession through the streets of the city by the Fogliamari, barefoot and wearing mourning purple clothes. Lamintanza or ladata is a poem of mediaeval origin, written in archaic Sicilian or Latin. In some cases, it follows the falsobordone technique with an alternating pattern between monody (solo singing) and polyphony (the singing of multiple voices). The composition and sound structure of the lamintanza evolved over the centuries, enriching themselves with melodies and rhythms that were layered on the island during the succession of foreign dominations.

The dirge is performed only by male voices expressing the mourning for the death of Christ. The most evocative part of the chant, the middle one, is performed by three voices. The first two voices are solo and take turns in the initial part of the lament while the third voice can also be choral and is combined with a very long vocalisation that characterises the actual lament, expressing grief for the passion and death of Christ.