✨Florentine New Year March 25th
The origin of this particular location dates back to the Middle Ages when March 25 was adopted by the city as the beginning of the civil calendar.
In 1582 the Gregorian calendar came into force, which set the beginning of the year on January 1st, but Florence stubbornly continued to consider March 25th as its New Year.
Dal 1749, il Granduca Francesco III di Lorena emise un decreto che fissava anche per Firenze il 1° gennaio come data iniziale da cui far decorrere l'anno civile.La manifestazione è ricordata con un corteo storico che partendo dal Palagio di Parte Guelfa si snoda per le vie cittadine, fino alla Basilica della SS. Annunziata, dove le genti del contado si recavano in pellegrinaggio per rendere omaggio alla sacra effige della Madonna.
✨Holy Fire Easter Saturday
The tradition of the holy fire was born in the Middle Ages, when, legend has it, Pazzino de' Pazzi brought back to Florence three stones from the Holy Sepulchre, received as a reward.
The three stones were in fact used to light the fire which, on Holy Saturday, was blessed in the Cathedral and distributed to the faithful, to then be carried in procession and to domestic hearths, to be kept lit until the end of Easter.
Over time, the tradition of carrying the holy fire through the city streets on a richly decorated cart came into use, so that the faithful who had not been able to attend the ceremony could light their own candles.
On the evening of Easter Saturday, the three stones, which are now kept in the church of the Holy Apostles, are carried under the escort of the Gonfalone to the churchyard of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, where they are used to light the fire that will start the explosion of the cart on Easter morning.
✨Explosion of the wagon Easter Sunday
On Easter morning the magic of the "explosion of the cart" is renewed.
The "Brindellone", the "fire" chariot escorted by 150 soldiers, musicians and flag-wavers of the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic, moves from the Prato square, pulled by two pairs of white flower-bedecked oxen, and arrives in the Piazza del Duomo, where it is placed in the space between the Baptistery and the Cathedral.
Then, at the singing of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”, the fuse of the dove is lit which, hissing, sets fire to the firecrackers and fireworks expertly arranged on the float.
The explosion of the cart is a ceremony that has a particular meaning, especially for the Florentines, because it calls into question historical and devotional reasons intimately connected to the identity of the city. Just think of the auspices drawn for centuries from the flight of the Dove that from the main altar of the Cathedral reaches the Cart causing it to explode; from the progress of that race, people have always fantasized about how the imminent harvest season would present itself in the countryside.
Not to mention the legendary story of the Brindellone: the word "brindellone" belongs to Florentine slang and defines a tall, swaying person, perhaps a little unsteady and a little beggarly, who is however looked upon with a certain affection and substantial sympathy. It seems that the origin of the combination of this word and the cart dates back to the festival celebrated by the Florentine Mint in honor of its protector, Saint John the Baptist. On June 24, a hay cart left from the Mint tower and went around the city, pulling a man dressed in rags who obviously represented the holy hermit and who was called "brindellone", also because he tended to sway a lot, especially after having eaten and drunk abundantly during the banquet consumed in the square. Since then, the term remained in popular use to identify all the carts used in the city for public ceremonies.
This celebration dates back to the distant times of the first crusade and, in particular, to the return from Jerusalem of the Florentine captain Pazzino dei Pazzi who brought with him three flakes of stone from the Holy Sepulchre. The three stones were used to draw a spark of "new" fire distributed to Florentine families, after the blessing, to rekindle the domestic hearth. In this way the custom of distributing the "holy fire" to the clergy and the people as a sign of Resurrection spread in Florence.
In fact, it was the Pazzi family, with the construction of the monumental "Chariot of Fire", who laid the foundations for today's ceremony which, symbolically, distributed the blessed fire to the entire city.
Starting from the seventeenth century the ceremony took on its current characteristics, with four gracefully adorned oxen pulling the Brindellone from the Prato site to the Duomo.
✨Marzocco Trophy May 1st
The Marzocco Trophy, the exciting flag-waving competition that every year brings us back to the atmosphere of chivalric contests, sees historic groups of flag-wavers compete in Piazza Signoria, accompanied by the performance of the “Musici”, who give even more depth to the ethereal choreographies of the flags.
Before the match, the teams are accompanied to the square by the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic, following a route through the city streets.
✨Marzocchino Trophy
Il Trofeo Marzocchino è un torneo amichevole tra giovani componenti di gruppi storici di sbandieratori che si svolge, sempre durante il mese di maggio, a Firenze in piazza della Signoria.
✨Palio del Baluardo Third Sunday of May
Crossbows, targets, the suspense of the knightly contest and medieval Florence, in the spectacle of the historical reenactment.
The event celebrates the anniversary of May 16, 1527, the expulsion of the Medici and the birth of the third Florentine Republic, with a day of individual and team competitions at the Baluardo della Ginevra (via di Belvedere, just before the Forte di Belvedere), built in 1544 to a design by Michelangelo, as a further fortification of the walls, and today the headquarters of the Compagnia dei Balestrieri Fiorentini.
The program of the event usually includes the opening of the Baluardo from the morning, for the shooting tests and the individual trophy.
The parade of the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic then opens the afternoon, followed by various individual and team competitions between the cities where this discipline is practiced.
✨ Offering of candles - San Giovanni 24 June
On June 24, Florence dresses up for the celebrations in honor of St. John the Baptist, the city's patron saint.
In ancient times, for nobles and lords of Florence, it was obligatory to make an offering to the Patron, which consisted of candles and poles. A part of the candles donated to San Giovanni had to burn for the whole year in the Baptistery dedicated to San Giovanni which is located in front of the Cathedral.
As Florence's power increased, the candles became enormous and increasingly richly adorned.
Even today, on the morning of June 24, the Procession of the Florentine Republic, together with the Ceremonial and the city authorities, goes from Piazza della Signoria to the Baptistery, for the traditional offering of the Candles to the Patron Saint, followed by the solemn celebration in the Cathedral, with the display of the relic of the Saint.
Monday 24th June a day of events with the parade and fireworks
Like any religious festival of ancient origins, the celebrations mix the sacred and the profane and the day has become an opportunity for collective entertainment that involves citizens and tourists. Every moment of the day is characterized by a special event, let's see together all the events not to be missed. Morning: Procession and Parade
The celebrations begin in the morning, starting at 8:30 , when the Corteo degli Omaggi parades through the streets of the center. It starts from via Folco Portinari and heads towards Piazza Duomo, where it joins the Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina. The costumed figures then arrive in Piazza della Signoria, for the delivery of the Cross of San Giovanni to the mayor . At 9:00 in Piazza della Signoria you can watch the performance of the Bandierai degli Uffizi. At 10:00 at the Loggia del Bigallo, for the first time after the pandemic and the restoration work carried out by Montedomini, the Ostensione del Reliquario della Società di San Giovanni Battista e delle Croce di San Giovanni returns .
At 10.30 in Santa Maria del Fiore there is a solemn mass in honor of the patron saint .
In the evening: the fireworks
The evening begins at 9:00 pm with a concert by the State Police Music Band on Lungarno della Zecchia Vecchia. From 10:00 pm, the fireworks display begins, which has been lighting up the Florentine night of San Giovanni for centuries. The fireworks are set off from Piazzale Michelangelo , making them visible from many points of the city. The best places to enjoy the show in the city are along the Arno River, but also in restaurants and wine bars with terraces located on top of buildings and hotels in the historic center. Alternatively, head to Fiesole, on the hill northeast of Florence, and enjoy the show from a little further away.
Just a recommendation: starting from late afternoon, in the areas around Piazzale Michelangelo and in some areas of the center, changes to traffic and the closure of some roads are possible.
So, our advice is to move on foot and, if you are in a car, stay away from these areas.
Finally, on June 27th the San Giovanni Trophy takes place at the Società Canottieri Firenze, a regatta between boats with eight rowers, coming from as many nations in a mixed crew of 4 women and 4 men, over a distance of 500 meters. Grand finale at sunset to decree the winners.
✨ St. Anne July 26th
This celebration has ancient origins that date back to fourteenth-century Florence, during the expulsion of the Duke of Athens Walter of Brienne, a foreign tyrant of a city that had always had a hard time digesting its masters. The popular uprising (1343), which forced the duke to flee from a half-hidden door in Palazzo Vecchio, occurred on the day dedicated to Saint Anne and, according to what was believed at the time, through her direct intercession. This episode invested the figure of the saint with an importance, not only religious, but also of high civic value, placing her as the protector of the city.
Nei tempi passati, nel giorno della ricorrenza della festività di Sant’Anna, il popolo offriva ceri e denaro davanti alla sua immagine in Orsanmichele, che veniva decorata con le bandiere delle Arti.
La celebrazione ha solitamente inizio nel Palagio di Parte Guelfa, con un corteo storico che fa tappa in piazza Signoria e sul sagrato del Duomo, prima di raggiungere Orsanmichele, dove si conclude con la cerimonia della consegna del cero all’altare di Sant’Anna.
✨ Saint Lawrence August 10th
The feast of San Lorenzo, co-patron saint of Florence, is one of the oldest and most heartfelt celebrations for Florentines, who every year flock to the basilica of the same name, a place that traditionally has a certain weight in the city's history.
Popular festival par excellence in the history of the city, it was enhanced above all by the settlement of the Medici family in the San Lorenzo district, with the construction of the palace that Cosimo the Elder commissioned from Michelozzo in 1444. The Medici wanted to associate the family chapel with the Basilica of San Lorenzo, where all the most important members of the family are buried, from Cosimo the Elder to Anna Maria Luisa, Electress Palatine.
✨ Carro Matto Fourth Saturday of September
There is a tradition that dates back to the folds of fourteenth-century Florence that still smells of the countryside and wine freshly drawn from the barrels: the carro matto.
Since ancient times, the wine that flowed in Florentine taverns came largely from the Chianti area. From all over Chianti, carts filled with flasks of wine arrived in the city to fill the glasses of the Florentines.
This custom was so deep-rooted and important that it became an unmissable event that wished good luck.
Già ai tempi della Repubblica fiorentina, ogni 29 settembre, un carro proveniente dalla Rufina, portava in piazza Signoria circa duemila fiaschi di vino (abilmente caricati a cesta, cioè disposti a piramide) per essere benedetto nella chiesa di San Carlo dei Lombardi (via dei Calzaiuoli) e poi bevuto alla salute di tutti i fiorentini. Questo carro era denominato “matto”, forse perché per impilare e trasportare migliaia di fiaschi, nelle accidentate stradine di campagna, ci voleva un certa lucida follia o forse perché una volta giunto in piazza ci si dava a folli feste.
Comunque sia questa tradizione è ancora viva e vegeta e ogni anno si perpetua con una rievocazione che parte dalla Rufina e si conclude a Palazzo Vecchio: il Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina parte dal Palagio di Parte Guelfa e si unisce al Carro Matto, trainato dai tipici “bovi” di razza Chianina, in piazza Duomo; insieme raggiungono il Sagrato del Duomo, dove avviene la benedizione del Carro e l’offerta del vino all’autorità religiosa. La stessa offerta viene fatta anche nella Chiesa di San Carlo. Poi il Corteo si reca in piazza della Signoria, dove gli sbandieratori si esibiscono davanti ad un folto pubblico e il vino viene offerto alle autorità civili.
✨ Historical Florentine football
Una tradizione ancora ad oggi molto cara a tifosi e calcianti, che affonda le sue origini nella storia dei primi giochi con la palla, dalla Sferomachia degli antichi Greci passando per l’Harpastum romano e attraverso il Medioevo, in cui il Calcio sulle strade era un’attività molto gradita ai fiorentini, fino all’iconica partita del 17 febbraio 1530 in cui i cittadini, seppur stremati dalla fame e dall’assedio di Carlo V, scesero in piazza e si misero a giocare al Calcio in scherno del nemico.
Ad oggi il Calcio storico è la competizione più agguerrita che coinvolge la città, uno spettacolo unico nel suo genere e un forte elemento identitario per i cittadini.