400 actors ( 40 spoken roles and 360 extras) between the ages of 5 and 80;
300 people " behind the scenes";
31 shows in 97 days, of which 3 performed by children;
each show last more than 2 hours and has 29 scenes;
an amphitheater of more than 4000 square metres;

These are only a few numbers to give an idea of this grand show, the Passion Play of Sordevolo, the greatest coral show in Italy. An impressive Sacred play that from 1816 to the present day brings whole of the inhabitants of Sordevolo together. The village of Sordevolo has 1300 inhabitants and is found at the foot of the Alps which frames the Province of Biella.

There are only three places in the world where they hold such an event dedicated to the Passion of Christ, in Sordevolo with the Passion Play of Sordevolo, Germany (in Oberammergau) and Finland (in Kuopio). Sordevolo is unique in its genre as it has become a tourist attraction not only for the Biella district but also for the region of Piedmont as well as the whole of Italy.

The play is performed in an open air amphitheater with a covered seating area for 3000 spectators .In an area of 4000 square meters a piece of Palestine is recreated (The last supper, Sanhedrin, Gethsemane, Herod's Royal Palace, Pilate's Place, Calvary) where 400 characters, Sanhedrin's guards, roman soldiers on horse back bring to life the Sacred Drama.

The scenery is meticulously constructed and the great music and the special affects are exceptionally powerful. The text of the play dates back to the end of the fourteen hundreds, and was written by the florentine Giuliano Dati a chaplain of the Church "dei Santi Martiri" in Rome.

The 2015 edition of the Passion Play of Sordevolo will start on 13th June.

Location: Sordevolo (Elvo Valley)