The Angel’s Run – Easter Sunday in Forio

The Angel’s Run in Forio dates back to a tradition from the 1600s. It is a sacred performance that depicts the moment when the Virgin Mary meets her resurrected Son. The event is carried out by the Archconfraternity of Forio, which safeguards the four statues carried on shoulders during the procession. By tradition, the statues are always carried by the same families, a custom passed down from father to son, often leading to disputes among families over the right to participate.
The statues in the procession are: the Virgin Mary, the Risen Christ, St. John the Apostle, and the Angel. The first three were carved in wood by a Neapolitan craftsman between 1756 and 1757, while the Angel was sculpted by Vincenzo Mollica and covered in pure gold leaf.
On Easter morning, before the procession begins, the Virgin Mary, veiled in white, and St. John are placed at the crossroads of Forio’s main street. After the Mass, Christ and the Angel join the procession, forming a small cortege with the blue banner and white ostrich-feather plume, the confraternity’s cross, and the clergy.
As they reach the fountain, a choir of powerful voices—comprising fishermen and townspeople—turns toward the Risen Christ and sings the “Regina Coeli”, marking the start of the ritual. The Angel bows three times to Christ and runs to the Virgin Mary to announce her Son’s resurrection. At the crossroads, the Regina Coeli is sung again by farmers and townspeople, and the Angel bows three times to the Virgin Mary before running back to Christ. This sequence is repeated three times.
During the final run, the Angel stops under the bell tower of the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto while the Virgin Mary and St. John walk along the street to meet Christ’s statue. Halfway through, the veil is lifted from the Virgin’s face, symbolizing the vision of her Son, and the street fills with flower petals thrown from balconies amid a chorus of songs and applause.
By tradition, the person carrying the ostrich-feather plume must lower it three times without letting the feathers touch the ground, in order to retain the right to carry it in future processions.
At the end of the ritual, the statues are carried in procession to the Church of San Vito.