Easter in Florence, Italy

Cari Amici,
Well, I started off my morning watching men in tights throwing flags around in Piazza della Repubblica in Florence, Italy. Not a bad way to go. Buona Pasqua!

Another artist friend Martinho joined the Florentine flag wavers, so some of my friends and I went to go watch him. And after we “had a coffee” at Donnini, we headed out to the Duomo to watch the festivities there.


Apparently, each Easter, a cart drawn by oxen is paraded through the streets of the city centro until they reach the Duomo. They stop in front, between the Duomo and the Baptistry. [The animals are led away shortly thereafter.] Il Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) dates back to the First Crusade. A Florentine soldier Pazzino de’ Pazzi was the first person to climb the walls of the city of Jerusalem. He was rewarded for his bravery with a piece of stone from the Holy Sepulcher (the burial site of Jesus).

[An aside here: pazzo is italian for ‘mad’ or ‘insane’ and usually an ‘i’ is plural for a masculine adjective. I wonder if this soldier earned his name AFTER his brave act. Forse (maybe) Pazzino de’ Pazzi means “the little crazy one of the crazies.”]

Pazzino returned to Florence and decided to start a ‘holy fire’ during Holy Week, using these stones. The fire was carried throughout the city until around 1300, when the Fiorentines constructed an elaborate cart to carry the flame. Today, the cart is attached to a wire that hangs from either side of the piazza. At the proper time (11:00 this morning), a sculpted colombina (little dove) holding an olive branch swoops down this wire into the cart, setting her off. Firecrackers abound and a perfect explosion indicates a positive year ahead. I think it should be one this year! We were quite lucky that the day was overcast because the lighting was better for the fireworks. And the rain hit afterwards for extra safety (and visual stimuli, from my point of view).

The crowd could have been worse, but the first image at the Duomo I took was because a man held me up on the edge of a bench full of standing viewers. He was rather funny. He said, “I will hold your elbow, not your waist. But do realize that I will be taking your wallet while you are busy taking your photograph.” I just laughed and responded, “I do not have a wallet.” I snapped off as much as I could, not seeing a thing as my camera was held high over my head. This first shot was one of these. The rest were taken from another vantage point, but I still could see very little.

I was amazed that they would set off fireworks so close to such significant and cherished historical artworks, but then, as one friend pointed out, the Duomo and Baptistry survived World War II bombings on Florence, so . . .

Dopo, five of my friends – one newly met on the street – came over to my flat for Easter lunch. It was sort of planned, but only Anna and I were from the original bunch. The other four accepted our invitation this morning. We had a great time – and I had help cooking (which is always appreciated). It was a good Italian lunch. Not the food, but the atmosphere: sitting around for hours enjoying good company. Lunch was over around le ora18:00.

I have tried to include a video here, but not sure if it will work. But I do hope that you enjoy the images.

Allora, happy Easter. I must go out now and see this charming city at night! Ciao, ciao.