TV Audience

On the evening of Good Friday, Rai 1 broadcast the traditional Via Crucis (live) confirming its central role in the Italian television landscape with one of the most significant religious events of the year. Rai 1 won the prime time slot with the rite of the Via Crucis, drawing 3,8 million viewers and a 20.6% share, outperforming Canale 5’s Grande Fratello Vip, which stopped at 2,024,000 viewers and a 17.4% share.

The 2026 edition stood out for a highly symbolic and unprecedented choice: for the first time, the Pope personally carried the cross for all fourteen Stations. A gesture of strong visual and spiritual impact, widely interpreted as a way to embody the weight of contemporary suffering and to express closeness to the many conflicts and crises affecting the world today.

The ceremony was guided by the voices of actresses Giusy Buscemi and Vittoria Belvedere, who served as narrators, accompanying the audience through the Stations with a sober and evocative tone. At the heart of the celebration were the meditations written by Father Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, which focused on the pain generated by wars and ongoing global conflicts. These reflections, combined with the Gospel readings, provided some of the most intense and meaningful moments of the broadcast.

However, the production raised several critical issues. The direction by Brunella Olivari appeared at times disjointed and ineffective. Key liturgical moments—particularly the Gospel readings—were not adequately supported visually, with the four readers often missing from the frame or poorly captured. The pacing lacked precision, and camera choices seemed inconsistent, despite the evident availability of substantial technical resources, including drone footage.

This imbalance between the scale of the production and the coherence of the direction weakened the overall televisual experience. Without the strength of the meditations and the intensity of the liturgical texts, the broadcast risked appearing unfocused.