This article explores the connections between the Spanish autos sacramentales of the seventeenth century and the Vara di Messina, a triumphal chariot which is still used nowadays during the namesake procession held in the Sicilian city and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the course of my study, quite a large number of similarities has emerged. This paper also analyzes the history of the ‘Vara’, in particular its name and how it came into being, and highlights further links with Spanish culture and language.…
