THE PROCESSION
OF THE DEAD FRIARS
AND THE LOST SOULS
10th edition
Saturday 15 November 2025 – h. 10:30
NAPLES – Rione Sanità
by Luciano Troiano
In the heart of the Rione Sanità returns the Procession of the Dead Friars and the Lost Souls 2025
On Saturday 15 November 2025, at 10:30, the 10th edition of THE PROCESSION OF THE DEAD FRIARS AND THE LOST SOULS will take place in Naples, in the Rione Sanità. An event that has entered the heart of Naples and the Neapolitans, which opens the festivities of the long Neapolitan Christmas: a true tradition with the long procession that will cross the most well-known streets of one of the most iconic neighbourhoods of the capital of the Mediterranean, with about 100 participants coming from Abruzzo.
Dead Friars, Bagpipers and participants in 19th-century Abruzzese and Neapolitan costumes at Palazzo Sanfelice
As per tradition, the Dead Friars with their white robes, a black skull on their shoulder and a lit candle in their left hand will open the event. With them, the music that will take us back in time with traditional rustic instruments: the bagpipes and ciaramelle from our friends of Le Zampogne d'Abruzzo and, together, the traditional 19th-century Abruzzese costumes worn by the Cantori delle contrade Grotta e Sant'Anna di Chieti led by Anna La Rovere and Ubaldo Iezzi. And also the colourful and noisy Abruzzese Pulcinella with his conical hat loaded with vital meanings. Enriching the morning will also be the 19th-century Neapolitan costumes from the association Fantasia d'Epoca.
The bagpipers of Le Zampogne d'Abruzzo through the streets of the ancient historic centre of Naples
It is a unique journey into the history, culture and traditions of the Central South of the peninsula, in one of the most beautiful and iconic neighbourhoods of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Naples: the Sanità District!
The start of the procession with the historical Abruzzese costumes from Chieti
During the morning, during the stops, there will be talks by sociologist David Ferrante on the customs, habits and traditions of the populations of Central South Italy during the days dedicated to the cult of the dead.
One of the Dead Friars in the entrance hall of Palazzo dello Spagnolo
This year, the neighbourhood schools have been involved to bring back into fashion one of the traditions that children carried on until the early 1970s: "The Tradition of the Cascettelle", as testified by the photos of Mimmo Iodice, writes the journalist Lucilla Parlato who in 2022 published for Langella editore the volume "Le cascettelle dei morti" ("The Little Baskets of the Dead"), which lasted until the 1970s, until the Church of Naples forbade the "cult of the dead".
The volume on the "cascettelle" by Lucilla Parlato published by Langella
In an increasingly "Halloween-ized" world, in recent years we have recovered many testimonies from that era, from the mid-19th century, cited by great authors such as Eduardo De Filippo (he mentions them in Filumena Marturano), Matilde Serao, Giuseppe Marotta, Francesco Cangiullo.
The children with the "cascettelle" made by artist Pasquale Manzo
"Honoured and satisfied to open the Christmas festivities in what, for our association, is the reference city for our history and culture. Abruzzo – says Luciano Troiano, president of Fontevecchia – was part of the Kingdom of Naples first and the Two Sicilies subsequently, for about 800 years. History, customs, habits and traditions cannot but be similar and bind us. The rediscovery of stories, legends and tales is part of our intangible heritage that we must pass on to the young generations so that they are not lost. The event is possible thanks to the teamwork with the other associative realities that have embraced our idea, contributing actively to its realization."
One of the traditional Abruzzese costumes with a green fulled wool cloak and silver dragoni
«The Neapolitan nativity scene – explained Giuseppe Serroni, President of the Onlus I Sedili di Napoli ETS – is famous worldwide for its unrivalled artistic beauty and for the richness of its scenographies and the figures that populate it, but few know or remember that it is the physical manifestation of a true penitential path towards Redemption, where Life and Death, Birth and Resurrection walk hand in hand. It is in this perspective that seemingly anachronistic characters are present in the Nativity Scene, often derived from the apocryphal gospels or from popular tales and legends».
The Procession of the Dead Friars in Borgo Vergini, Via Sanità
The trip to the Neapolitan city is organized, as usual, by the Abruzzese association Fontevecchia of Spoltore (PE) in collaboration with the associations Beato Marco d'Aviano of Pescara and Gualdana dell'Orso of Montesilvano, together with the Sedili di Napoli, presided over by our friend Giuseppe Serroni, with whom the collaboration is now decades-old.
One of the Dead Friars in front of the church of the Anime Pezzentelle – S. Maria di Purgatorio in Arco This is the route starting at 10:30: Chiesa del Rosariello alle Pigne on via Cavour, Chiesa della Misericordiella in Borgo Vergini (with a short stop, where the works of Christian Leperino are located), via Vergini, via Cristallini with a stop at the Chiesa Blu di Santa Maria della Maddalena (Blue Church of Saint Mary Magdalene), vico Carretta, supportico Capodimonte, discesa Capodimonte, via San Severo with a stop at the Chiesa di San Severo fuori le mura and, finally, piazza Sanità.
The security along the route will be ensured by the Naples Municipal Police and the civil protection association Base Condor.
The event is under the patronage of the Municipality of Naples, the 3rd Municipality Stella San Carlo all'Arena and the Municipality of Spoltore.
Bus departure from Pescara, piazzale della Motorizzazione at 05:45
Info: 331/6796820
Credits:
Fontevecchia Archive; I Sedili di Napoli; SulSud.it
Photos:
Fontevecchia Archive; Stefano Celiberti; Ferdinando Kaiser; Marianna Tazzani; Mattia Cervoni
Rione Sanità - Naples