by Courtney Rogers
Ciao readers! I can’t believe that Easter has come and gone, spring really is here! Holly, Ellie and I celebrated Easter in a fully Florentine manner. In Florence, there’s a tradition known as Scoppio del Carro or Explosion of the Cart. It’s this huge procession and fireworks display in the piazza del Duomo and it was so cool to see. Before the fireworks, we had breakfast a Guibbe Rosse got to pet the oxen that are walked around in the procession! They were huge but looked so relaxed munching on hay and wearing all of their flowers. They were truly decked out for the occasion.
At the cathedral, the show begins with the flight of a “dove” (rocket) that is shot from the high altar of the church on a wire connected to the top of the cart. What ensues is a lengthy fireworks display and lots of purple, white and red smoke, Florence’s colors. After the fireworks are done, the procession heads around the baptistry. It’s a tradition that’s been carried out since the 11th century, though the Pazzi conspiracy kind of put a damper on it for awhile. If Sunday was any indication though, the tradition is alive and well and we had a great time watching.
CET Student Correspondent
Florence, Spring 2010
Want to learn more about the history of the Scoppio del Carro? Click here
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