Réginas de Coll et Colomer
“Le Christ meurt à Perpignan, lors de la Procession de la Sanch du Vendredi Saint et ressuscite à Ille sur Tet le dimanche de Pâques…”
(reportedly said by a visitor to Lucien Castillo, a long-time local folkloric figure)
EASTER SUNDAY
Unique in the Pyrénées-Orientales, a tradition dating back to 1891, this Easter Sunday celebration in Ille-sur-Têt combines a moving Resurrection procession with the powerful “Régina” choral tradition—an enduring expression of Catalan heritage.
Whilst Perpignan, Collioure and Arles mark Good Friday with the solemn Procession de la Sanch, Ille-sur-Têt welcomes Easter morning with life and renewal. At dawn, a drumroll echoes through the town, announcing both the Resurrection and the arrival of spring.
At exactly 8am, to the sound of a slow, rhythmic drumbeat, the statues of the Ressuscité (Christ) and the Vierge (Virgin Mary) approach from opposite sides of the Place de la Mairie. Carried on the shoulders of porteurs, they bow to one another three times—this symbolic encounter is known as l’acat. The moment is simple, solemn, and deeply moving – one of the last remaining processions in the region where statues are still carried by hand.
Then, without warning, the silence breaks.
The first Régina, the Régina de Coll, bursts into the air—performed by the Estudiantine Illoise, a choir of around 130 voices accompanied by 40 musicians. The procession continues to the Jardins de la Rodona, where the Régina de Colomer follows, building in layers from a few voices to a full, resonant chorus and concludes in the church of Saint-Étienne, where both Réginas are performed once more before a packed congregation.
These Réginas take their name in part from Jean Colomer, a local organist and teacher, and from Coll, another composer of the period. Together, they created these powerful musical pieces that remain at the heart of Ille-sur-Têt’s Easter tradition.
Part procession, part concert, and part living history, this is one of the most distinctive and lesser-known Easter celebrations in southern France.
Unique in the Pyrénées Orientales, this religious celebration of the Procession of the resurrection and “Régina” songs (140 strong choir and 40 musicians) is a typical example of the Catalan heritage, which Ille sur Tet has managed to preserve.
MORE EASTER TRADITIONS
Le Sanch