Passion Day

A Project Review of Translation and Performance in Sicily

Authors

  • Enza De Francisci University of Glasgow

Keywords:

Passion Day, Religious performances, Translation, Siciliy, Sicilian dialect, Cultural Heritage, Minoritised languages, performance traditions

Abstract

This project presentation is based on the translation resources I developed as part of the University of Glasgow’s Impact Development and Evaluation Fund around Passion Day. Passion Day in Naro (Agrigento, Sicily) is an all-day event which re-enacts the Sacred Representations (now UNESCO-protected) — from Christ’s condemnation to death to his resurrection. The event is hosted at the former monastery of St Agustine’s church which is transformed into a large open-air theatre. A number of local theatre companies from all around Sicily are invited to participate in the event. In 2025 14 companies (over 400 actors) took part. Each company performs a scene from the Passion of Christ (14 scenes in total). The script is adapted from Adam’s Ransom (1750), also known as The Martyrdom of Jesus Christ, which was written by the Sicilian playwright, Orioles Philip.

References

Reference List

Ballarò, Francesco Luca and Francesco Daniele Miceli. 2023. La Pasqua in Sicilia: Un itinerario storico, iconografico e religioso della settimana santa nell’isola. Preface by William Tornabene. Barrafranca: Bonfirraro Editore.

Bancheri, Salvatore, ed. 2015. Il riscatto di Adamo nella morte di Gesù Cristo. Ottawa: Legas.

De Francisci, Enza. Forthcoming. Sicilian Popular Theatre and the London Stage: Storytellers, Puppeteers, and Actors (in contact with Bloomsbury Publishing

De Francisci, Enza. 2024. “The Passion of Christ (Passione di Cristo)”. https://playstosee.com/the-passion-of-christ-passione-di-cristo/.

De Francisci, Enza, and Cristina. Marinetti. 2025. Translation in the Performing Arts: Embodiment, Materiality, and Inclusion. New York-London: Routledge.

De Francisci, Enza, and Cristina Marinetti. 2022. “Introduction: Translation and Performance Cultures.” Translation Studies. 15 (3): 247–257.

Richardson, Brian. 2001. “Questions of Language”. In The Cambridge Companion in Modern Italian Culture. Edited by Z. Baranski and R. West. 63-79. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

The Crucifixion interpreted by the City of Grotta, Agrigento. Photo courtesy of Massimiliano Arena

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Published

2026-04-28

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Performance, Religion & Spirituality

Section

Insights

License

The copyright belongs to the authors and PRS.