L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021 L'Italo-Americano T here is a place in T u s c a n y ' s Mount Amiata r e g i o n , w h e r e Christmas is syn- onym with fire. In truth, the connection between the two is quite common across the country, with ritual fire cele- brations like those in Nemoli ( B a s i l i c a t a ) , A g n o n e (Molise), and Calabatiano (Sicily). Up North, in Liguria, the popular confuoco takes place in many towns and vil- lages, either on Christmas E v e o r c l o s e r t o t h e n e w year. The role of all these traditions, which are usually rooted in our most ancient past, is varied; fire has always been a symbol, even before the advent of Christianity, of purification and protection against evil. Because it pro- vides light and warmth, fire also has a strong connection with life and vital energy. But it is also closely connected with Christian lore: especially around Christmas, lighting it meant providing symbolic warmth and protection to the C h r i s t C h i l d a n d H i s parents. P r o t e c t i o n f r o m e v i l , a symbol of light and life: it is not surprising that fire tradi- tionally illuminates end-of- year nights in Italy. It is, in the end, a good omen for the year to come. Let's go back to Tuscany, though, and to the beautiful a r e a a r o u n d M o u n t Amiata: here, in this pic- turesque corner of one of Italy's most beloved regions, the connection with fire is stronger, because it comes also from the territory, from t h e e a r t h : M o u n t A m i a t a w a s , i n a n c i e n t t i m e s , a n active volcano, and his lava dome is the largest, at 1738 meters (or 5700 feet) of the Amiata lava domes system. Mount Amiata, for its people, is fire, to the point that locals have always been known as the figli del fuoco, or "chil- dren of the fire," because of the profound, ancestral con- nection they always had with the mountain. A mountain that offered food and liveli- h o o d , a l s o t h a n k s t o t h e many cinnabar mines that for decades offered work to the community. It is here, in this i n d i s s o l u b l e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Nature and Man, t h a t t h e t r a d i t i o n o f t h e Fiaccole of Abbadia San S a l v a t o r e d e v e l o p e d . A b b a d i a i s a c h a r m i n g medieval village of about 6000, located some 37 miles southeast of Siena and 68 m i l e s s o u t h e a s t o f t h e regional capital, Florence. The village developed around the Benedectine abbey of San S a l v a t o r e f o u n d e d b y Lombard king Rachis in 743 AD, of which only the church - today maintained by the Cistercians - and the crypt remains. The figure of Rachis is also associated with a leg- end that brings together the pagan and Christian mean- ing of fire: according to lore, Rachis witnessed the appari- tion of the Holy Trinity, sur- rounded by fire, in the woods on Mount Amiata and had a crypt built on that very place, a r o u n d w h i c h t h e a b b e y developed. In truth, the con- struction of the abbey had a v e r y c l e a r e c o n o m i c a n d strategical meaning, as it could control commercial t r a f f i c t h r o u g h M o u n t Amiata, as well as that taking p l a c e a l o n g t h e V i a Francigena. There are plenty of rea- sons why in Abbadia San Salvatore, Fiaccole mean much more to the local com- munity than folklore and entertainment: they are his- tory and tradition, faith and heritage. The Notte delle Fiaccole dates back to the early Middle Ages but finds its ancestral origins in the symbolic act of bringing light to the longest night of the year. But while the Notte delle Fiaccole is the climax of these celebrations, they, in fact, begifiaccole, starthen fiaccolai, the people who have the duty to build the fiaccole, start collecting the wood for their job. A note should now be made about the word"fiaccola:" while in Italian it usually translates with "torchlight," we're here dealing with large, pyramid- shaped wooden structures, that can reach seven meters in height. They are built in every terziere, or borough, of the village throughout the month of December, thanks to the expertise of the above- mentioned fiaccolai, and the help of the whole communi- ty. Building a fiaccola is not a simple feat: each piece of wood must be shaped and smoothed, then used to cre- ate structures whose con- struction is still based on ancient techniques the peo- ple of Abbadia have been passing on from a generation to the next. The Night of the Fiaccole is, therefore, the culmination of a months-long work the whole community carries out, a moment when the past s t r e n g t h e n s t h e p r e s e n t , deepens bonds, and nurtures connections. It all begins at 6 p m o n t h e 2 4 t h o f December when the fiacco- la built in front of the Town Hall is blessed and set on fire: those who have partici- pated, say it's a magical, inti- mate moment, in spite of the presence of hundreds of peo- p l e . O n c e t h e " f i a c c o l a madre," the main fiaccola, is on fire, all capi fiaccola, the chief fiaccolai of each fiaccola in town, light a torch and begin the walk towards their own pyre, in a procession and celebration that lasts all night long. It is tradition to follow the lighting of the fiaccole with Christmas carols and itinerant shows, in that mix- ture of sacred and profane that is typical of so many Italian traditions. At midnight, the day of prescribed fasting - or giorno di magro, that is, a day when meat cannot be consumed - ends: the community is ready t o c e l e b r a t e t h e b i r t h o f Christ and Christmas day cel- ebrations with a village bar- b e c u e , w h e r e m e a t a n d sausages are roasted on the fiaccole in every corner of town: you wouldn't expect anything less, we are in Italy, in the end, and good food enjoyed in conviviality is a marvelous gift, not a sin. T h e F i a c c o l e o f S a n Salvatore are a powerful and cherished symbol of local unity and pride for the peo- ple of Mount Amiata, as the m a n y , b e a u t i f u l a r t i c l e s a b o u t t h e e v e n t p r e s e n t online demonstrate. From the detailed, historically- b a s e d a c c o u n t o f T h a t s A m i a t a ( w w w . t h a t - samiata.com), to the precise description of the night made b y F i l i p p o V e n t u r i n i f o r Tuscany Amiata (www.tus- canyamiata.com) all the way to the visual tale prepared by M a r c o C o n t i f o r A m i a t a News (www.amiatanews.it), and Marco Maestrini's visi- tor-friendly report, enriched by beautiful pictures, created for Frammenti di Toscana (www.frammentiditoscana.it ), the love for Abbadia's fiac- cole is tangible. Just like the kindness and friendliness of everyone I spoke to while preparing this article: it is true, Tuscany and its people are very special, indeed. The fire of Christmas lives in Abbadia San Salvatore LUCA SIGNORINI Christmas Eve: setting a "fiaccola" on fire (Photo: Marco Conti/Amiata News) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

• Cover