A solemnity that deserves more
Corpus Domini is one of the great solemnities of the Catholic
liturgical calendar: it celebrates the Eucharistic presence of
Christ through a procession of the Most Holy Sacrament along the
streets of the town. In many Sicilian towns the solemnity is accompanied
by the Infiorata: a carpet of flower petals laid along the
procession route, beneath which the Sacrament passes.
In Nicosia, Corpus Domini has always been celebrated — but in recent
decades the popular dimension had faded. The Diocese and the parishes
have begun a path of reviving the tradition that includes the
recovery of the Infiorata.
The Infiorata
The Infiorata is the practice of arranging flower petals on the
pavement to create religious designs and motifs, beneath which the
procession passes. It is a practice that is:
- extremely ephemeral (petals last only a few hours; trodden by
the procession they are destroyed);
- collective (it requires dozens of people working in parallel for
hours);
- symbolic (the flowers are a gift destroyed at the moment the
Sacrament passes).
In Nicosia the Infiorata was a living tradition until the 1970s-80s,
then it progressively shrank to almost nothing. From 2025-2026
it is slowly being recovered, with the combined initiative of the
Diocese (for the liturgical side), the parishes (to mobilise families),
the Municipality and the Pro Loco (for organisational support).
The procession
The Corpus Domini procession leaves from the Cathedral of San Nicolò,
crosses Piazza Garibaldi, runs down Via Vittorio Emanuele (where
the Infiorata is laid), reaches Piazza Mazzini and the Basilica
Santa Maria Maggiore, and returns to the Cathedral.
The procession is made up of:
- the clergy (bishop, Cathedral canons, parish priests);
- the confraternities of the territory (with their banners);
- the children who recently received First Communion (in their
ceremony clothes);
- the faithful in silent procession.
Visiting
- Procession start: 6:30 pm from the Cathedral.
- Infiorata visible: from 11 am (while it is being laid) to 6:30 pm
(procession passage).
- Entry: free to the whole programme.
Corpus Domini is a religious solemnity: those attending are invited
to behave appropriately. Photos are allowed without flash and with
discretion.
