Florence
brings back the celebrations of the ancient ages and transforms
them into colorful festivals showcasing tradition, culture and the
pagan rites of times gone by. One of the exciting and brilliant
festivals is the Festa della Rificolona that lights up the streets
of Florence with an almost Oriental air and a pagan ambience.
Florence comes alive with a festive air as the children dressed
in their Sunday best sing songs and carry papier-mâché
lanterns tied to the ends of sticks, called rificolone. The legends
surrounding the famous Festa della Rificolona twinkle in and out
like the rificolone themselves. Many of the Florentines believe
that this festival was held in celebration of the triumph of Florence
over Siena on August 2nd, 1555, with lanterns tied to the ends of
the soldiers’ pikes. But a more popular belief surrounds this
celebration with a huge autumn fair held in the Piazza Santissima
Annunziata on September 7th, the day before the nativity of the
Virgin or the eve of the Feast of the Madonna. This 17th century
festival is also celebrated in other parts of Tuscany though it
is typically Florentine.
As
interesting myths surround this colorful festival, its origins go
back to ancient times when the farmers traveled to the city to celebrate
the Feast of the Madonna. Dressed in what the farm people thought
was suitable for the city, they brought their wares and produce
as part of the festivities to be sold in an open market. To get
a vantage position to sell their goods, the farmers and their families
started their journey to the city before dawn. As they had to cross
a great distance in the wee hours of the morning, they made lanterns
with canvas or paper to light their way. The lanterns twinkling
across the dark night delighted and inspired the Florentines to
make lanterns swinging from side to side on a pole that resembled
a swaying long skirted woman. The Festa della Rificolona is full
of fun and frolic with both adults and children with clappers and
whistles walking along the streets aiming at the lanterns with pea
shooters causing the lanterns to burst into flames. The origin of
the name of the festival stems from the word ‘fierucolone’
which eventually evolved into ‘rificolona’ in dialect
that describes a woman who is over dressed or who dresses in poor
taste. With the farmers and the villagers coming into the city to
earn money before winter, both their outfits and their lanterns
would be ridiculed by the children of Florence who would shoot at
the lanterns with their blowguns. The children would make up little
ditties like:
Ona, Ona, Ona,
O che bella Rificolona,
La mia l'é coi fiocchi,
La tua l'é coi pidocchi!
The translation reads:
Ona, ona ona,
What a beautiful Rificolona,
Mine with bows is tied,
In yours do lice reside!
The lovely 'Festival of the Lanterns' is said to be one of Florence's
oldest festivals and is accompanied by a traditional boat parade
that is illuminated with a kaleidoscope of colored lanterns in different
shapes and sizes with prizes awarded to the best and most original
boat. Even to this present day, traditional Rificolona laboratories
are managed by the City Wards to preserve the art of lantern making.
The children are taught to make their own lanterns with colored
tissue paper. They would shoot at the farmers’ lanterns with
blowguns so that the candle inside would be knocked down and the
paper lantern would be set ablaze.
The
Festa della Rificolona has as part of its celebrations, parties
in the square and street theater performances accompanied by their
delicious traditional cuisine. The amazing festival ends with a
long and color splashed procession from Piazza Santa Croce to Piazza
Santissima Annunziata, which is led by the Cardinal. After a solemn
address, the revelry goes on till the sun comes up. As one of the
most important festivals, the Festa della Rificolona was originally
organized by the organic food producers of Italy and still continues
its heritage to this day.
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