L'Italo-Americano
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
www.italoamericano.com
2
Infiorate: the Italian tradition of flower art festivals
Continued from page 1
theme, or a complex geometrical
pattern
-, the preparation must
start a few months in advance as
different and seasonal floral
species need to be collected.
Just like many other festivals
in Italy, the Infiorate are linked
to
a religious celebration and
usually take place on
the Sunday of Corpus Domini,
the ninth after Easter.
Allegedly, the tradition of cre-
ating flower tapestries started in
Rome in the early 17
th
century
and was soon adopted in the
nearby areas like Bolsena and
Genzano, until it became known
as
the Infiorata.
In the small town of Genzano,
the corso (main street) up to the
local Church of St. Mary of the
Hilltop is covered by about 13
floral compositions - each of
them 7x14 meters - to be stepped
on by the procession of the
Blessed Sacrament held on
Sunday night after mass. In
2014, the colorful event, which
attracts visitors and artists from
all over Italy, will take place
on
June 22-23 and include the
floral reproduction of an artwork
by
renowned Trans-Avant-Garde
painter
and sculptor Mimmo
Paladino. Other topics selected
this year for the 236
th
edition of
the event are the 200
th
anniver-
sary of the Carabinieri armed
force, as well as tributes to
Nelson
Mandela and
Michelangelo, and typical reli-
gious scenes dedicated to San
Francesco and San Pietro.
Among
the most famed
Infiorate is a similar celebration
held
in the small town of Spello,
in Umbria region, where a path
of
flower compositions one-mile
long will cover the narrow
streets of the historical center on
the weekend of June 21-22,
2014.
In Spello, techniques and
designs evolved throughout the
years, until the first official con-
test was established in 1962.
Today,
the association "Le
Infiorate di Spello" brings
together about 1000 members
committed to preserving and pro-
moting
the traditional feast
beyond regional and national
borders.
In the Baroque town of Noto,
Sicily,
the Infiorata usually takes
place on the third Sunday of May
after
the designs have been
meticulously prepared during the
previous two days. The festival
also features a variety of activi-
ties like parades and shows. On
Monday morning, the town's
children are allowed to run in the
streets and destroy the floral art-
works as a symbol of renewal.
The
"Infiorate" are usually linked to a religious celebration
Artists use flowers to create works of art in the streets
