Easter in Naples is one of the biggest holidays of the year, second only to Christmas in terms of its importance. Not just a religious festival, the Easter holidays also represent the true start of spring and new life, getting everyone excited for the arrival of warmer days.

After many years living in Italy, I have to say that the Easter celebrations are some of my personal favorites, particularly those in Naples and Campania, so let’s get started!

All About Celebrating Easter in Naples

The main Easter events take place in Holy Week through to Holy Saturday, followed by Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Dates for these change each year depending on when Easter is calculated to take place, in 2025 they are as follows:

• Palm Sunday – April 13. The start of Holy Week, on this day services are held where palms (sometimes olive branches) are given out to the congregation in memory of the palms that were thrown down in front of Jesus Christ as he entered Jerusalem.
• Maundy Thursday/Holy Thursday – April 17. Remembering the Last Supper, masses are held and in some churches a recreation of Jesus washing the feet of the apostles is done. The Lo struscio del Giovedì Santo pilgrimage also takes place in Naples (more details below).
• Good Friday – April 18. A day of mourning to remember the crucifixion, no masses are held but Via Crucis processions take place, representing the stages of Christ’s death.
• Holy Saturday – April 19. Another day of mourning, with an Easter vigil held in churches that evening, but many Neapolitans will be out shopping and preparing for the next day.
• Easter Sunday – April 20. Marking the end of Holy Week, there are masses in the morning at churches including the Duomo before big, long lunches with friends and family.
• Easter Monday – April 21. Also known as Pasquetta (‘little Easter’) this is a public holiday and Italians make the most of the day off and good weather. Picnics outside in parks, gardens and at the beach are common.

In a word, yes!

The weather around Easter in Naples tends to be ideal; bright sunny skies with mild temperatures and a low chance of rain. It doesn’t get too hot so you can be outside all day and sight-see as much as you want. Ferries run as planned and you can sit outside enjoying aperitivo or dinner with only a light jacket on.

You do need to be prepared for crowds however. The Easter holidays are a very popular time to visit Italy. Most European schools are on a break and the spring weather is beautiful. Also, around Easter other Italians like to travel and people from the surrounding Campania region visit Naples, so don’t be surprised if the city center is packed!

The crowds are at their worst on the Easter weekend itself, but as long as you book tickets and restaurant reservations for your must-dos, you’ll be okay. Reservations for Easter lunch on Easter Sunday are particularly important, not all restaurants will be open so there will be less options.

Will any sights be closed?

Both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are officially public holidays, so on both these days the vast majority of shops and businesses will be closed. Some restaurants also close, or have reduced opening hours, so check in advance if there is somewhere in particular you would like to eat.

However, most sights will be open as normal on both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. The archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the MANN museum, Capodimonte art gallery and the Royal Palace of Caserta are all open both days.

These are very busy days for these sights so you definitely need to pre-book entrance tickets. You should also plan your transport carefully, as buses and trains will be running on the Sunday service with fewer options available.

Churches are generally open in the afternoon on the Sunday after masses have been held in the morning, and open with regular hours on the Monday.

The royal family continued with the pilgrimage, walking between churches before ending at the Basilica San Francesco di Paola in Piazza del Plebiscito. Completing the pilgrimage became very popular as people wanted to copy the royal example, so Neapolitans of all social classes would follow the route down Via Toledo to the piazza.

The huge number of people present meant no one could walk that fast, and the sound of shuffling feet combined with the swish of people’s clothes gives us the term ‘struscio’. This means ‘stroll’ but is also onomatopoeic, sounding like the noise that one would hear on the path to the churches.

You can create your own version of the Struscio if you like. Traditionally the churches visited were Spirito Santo, San Nicola alla Carità, San Liborio alla Pignasecca, Madonna delle Grazie, Santa Brigida, San Ferdinando di Palazzo and then San Francesco di Paola. However these are not set and you can choose which 6 churches to visit – the only rule is that you must finish at the church of San Francesco di Paola.

The Via Crucis is a long-standing tradition in Italy. Originally pilgrims in Jerusalem would visit fourteen places that marked moments in the suffering of Christ; the judgement of execution, when he is made to carry the cross of crucifixion and more.

Through the medieval period the ability of pilgrims to reach Jerusalem became much more difficult, so returning friars started offering local versions. People could therefore visit the different stations without physically being in Jerusalem. These became very popular and by the 1700’s were so common that the Pope had to set out rules for how they were to be set up and how many there could be in a given area.

There are many Via Crucis events, but they all follow a similar pattern. People walk between the different stations, often following a leader carrying a cross, praying at each one. Sometimes these are combined with passion plays, which tell the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Usually the Via Crucis takes place on Good Friday, but this important religious rite can also take place at other times.

One of the most interesting examples of the passion plays is the Procession of the Mysteries on the island of Procida.

Passion plays started as a way to share stories and messages from the Bible, particularly the Easter stories, with people who could not read. Literacy rates in medieval Europe were low so the best way to share these stories was to show them reenactments. Their popularity started to wane when Easter traditions changed and developed over the centuries, but in many places they have adapted.

The island of Procida is one place where the tradition never really stopped. In the evening of Holy Thursday the first procession takes place lit by candles, but it is those on Good Friday that are the most impressive.

Each year people work to create incredible Biblical scenes, designed to be carried on the shoulders of the men in the procession. On Good Friday these are carried, along with statues of Christ and the Madonna, around the island and ending at the Marina Grande. The procession is accompanied only by the sound of a very particular trumpet, and takes hours to complete so it is an event you have to commit to if you want to attend.

Easter in Naples is a huge holiday with lots of events taking place around the city and in Campania, so all you have to do is to decide how to get involved! The one thing you absolutely cannot miss is the special Neapolitan Easter food so make sure to try some of this before you leave.

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