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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Infiorata

Genzano near Rome

Genzano near Rome

Abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba, near Piacenza

Associated with the processions of Corpus Christi are the infiorate: magnificent carpets of flowers.

In Italy, they are a collective work of the people in a town or village. They have to be. They are way beyond the ability of one person working alone.

In Genzano, a small town 30 km southeast of Rome there is a marvellous flower mat, 250 metres long, consisting of about 50.000 Kg of flowers, from the church of Santa Maria della Cima to the main square.

The medieval village of Spello in Umbria is another town with a beautiful display of flower carpets.

More pictures of the infiorata at Spello are available at Paradox place.

There are hundreds of towns in Italy which have Corpus Christi processions with associated infioratas. One which Flaubert admired was in the town of Toro in Molisse.

There is a good article by Helen Donegan on the origins of the Infiorata in Italy and its development.

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