A Settimana Santa Pasqua The Holy Week Easter
Maundy Thursday = U Ghjovi Santu
A Corsican tradition : the plaiting of the palm tree Una tradizione Corsa : L’intriccera di e palme
U palmu hè l’arburu chì face un fruttu chjamatu u natteru
The palm tree is a tree giving a fruit named the date
U Vittone hè a palma intricciata chì si mette nant’à a cruccione .
The « vittone » or « big palm branch » is the plaited branch which is on the big Cross .
Intriccià = to plait , to braid [ breid] Piegà = Fold
Tirà a punta = pull on the tip Un puntarolu = a pin
Un acu = a needle [ni:dl] Stringhje = to hold tight
Allentà si (allentassi) = Loosen ( verb) U palmu = the palm tree
A palma = the palm branch
U Vittone = the main branch ( a vetta = piccula branca)
E lode = canti sacri = laud [lod] or praises
A granitula = the winkle [‘winkl] form given by the procession when the two brotherhoods meet to join :it symbolizes the “ rebirth” like the rebirth of Christ)
E donne intreccianu e palme per realizà : pesci , stelle , crucette è campanili .
The palm branches are plaited by the women to make : fishes , stars ,little crosses and « campanile » (kind of “ scoubidou” looking like a church tower).
When you plait, you need pins to hold your work tight otherwise it may loosen.
Quandu si intreccia ci volenu i puntaroli per mantene u travagliu bellu strintu altrimente tuttu si po allentà .
Sta tradizione tra u paese di a Venzulasca è di u Viscuvatu si chjama « a Parata » ( vene da u verbiu « parà », fà pientà ).
U ghjovi sera , i Venzulaschesi partenu in prucessiò cun,in fine di coda , u Cristu vestutu da u Vittone purtatu da un omu incamisgiatu in biancu cum’è l’omi di a cunfraterna chì l’accumpagnanu cantandu u « Perdono mio dio ».
Ghjunti in paese di u Viscuvatu , l’altra cunfraterna aspetta i Venzulaschesi per accumpagnali fin’à a chjesa di San Martinu induve cantanu e lode*.
Dopu avè cantatu , l’omi incamisgiati facenu a « granitula » nant’à a piazza poi si staccanu .
U vennari sera Venzulaschesi aspettanu i Viscuvacci chì ghjunghjenu cantandu u « Perdono » .
Ghjunti in chjesa cantanu e lode à duie voce = a bassa è a terza . Si dice ch’elli « cantanu in cuppiella ».
This tradition between the villages of Venzolasca and Vescovato is called a « parata ».( it comes from the verb “ stop ” in Corsican).
On Thursday evenings the inhabitants of Venzolasca leave in a sacred procession with at its end Christ and the “Vittone” carried by a man wearing a long white shirt like the other men of the brotherhood who accompany him singing : “ Perdono , Mio dio.”
When they arrive in the village of Vescovato, the other brotherhood is waiting for them to accompany them till the Church of Saint Martin where they sing lauds*.
After this, the men wearing white long shirts join to make “ a Granitula” on the village square then they separate.
On Friday evenings the inhabitants of Venzolasca wait for the procession coming from Vescovato which arrives singing “ Perdono mio Dio”.
When they arrive into the church , they sing the lauds using two “voices” : a bass voice and the third voice .this way to sing is called “ cuppiella” that is to say a two-part song .
