Every year,
Florence celebrates Easter with an explosion of colour and fire. A giant cart,
pulled by two white oxen festooned with garlands of flowers, winds its way
through the city centre, escorted by a lively and colourful parade of musicians
and flag-throwers in medieval costume. In front of the Duomo, the cart explodes
with fireworks, setting off the huge Catherine wheels and releasing billows of
red and purple smoke.
The tradition of
the Scoppio
del Carro (‘explosion of the cart’) dates back to the crusades, when, according
to tradition, a Florentine, Pazzino di Ranieri de’ Pazzi, brought home from
Jerusalem some stone splinters said to come from the Holy Sepulcher. These
stones are still used to light the fireworks on the cart, symbolising new life.
In this issue,
filmmaker David Battistella describes his first experience of Easter in
Florence, and Georgette Jupe relates the fascinating traditions that make up a
Florentine Easter, from feasts for foodies to historical re-enactments.
Easter falls on
April 8 this year. For more information about the events of the holiday, and
how to make the most of this important tradition in Florence, see this issue of
TF and visit www.comune.fi.it.
