Origins and curiosities about the Casazza of Nicosia
The Casazza di Nicosia is a traveling sacred representation that made the village of Nicosia famous throughout Sicily in the 19th century.
La Casazza originated in Genoa around 1260 and spread in Sicily in the sixteenth century thanks to the close commercial relations between Genoa and Palermo. Several Casazze were thus formed in various villages of Sicily but, of all of them, that of Nicosia must have been the most grandiose.
From written documents it is known that at the end of the 19th century the Casazza of Nicosia included 35 scenes of the Old and the New Testa and the participation of about 3000 participants. It was staged on Holy Thursday and lasted about 12 hours.
Today this ancient representation comes back to life in the streets and squares of Nicosia on the occasion of the Holy Easter celebrations.
