Archives for October 2019

The “Scoppio del Carro” or the Explosion of the Cart is a traditional ceremony held on Easter morning in Piazza del Duomo, right between the Cathedral and the Baptistery. This ritual goes back to the First Crusades of 1099 when the Florentine Pazzino de’ Pazzi, the first to raise the Christian banner above Jerusalem, was rewarded with three chips of stone from the Holy Sepulchre of Christ. Since then, every Easter, a cart has been used to distribute throughout Florence the Holy fire lit with the spark of these stones.

Over the centuries, this ritual became more elaborated and the typical cart was  transformed into a decorated emblem of splendour laden with fireworks.

To this day, on Easter Sunday the cart is pulled by two white oxen during a characteristic parade from Porta al Prato to the Duomo, where the commemoration takes place. The cardinal of Florence, after celebrating the mass in the Duomo, lights a fuse on a “colombina”, a rocket shaped like a dove, that crosses the central aisle of the Cathedral heading toward the cart. As the dove hits the cart, it lights the fireworks and sets off a thrilling pyrotechnic show, the “Scoppio del Carro”.

As per the popular tradition, if the spark caught and the Scoppio del Carro goes smoothly, the Florentines could expect a good and prosperous year.

Have you ever been to Florence during the Easter break?

The “bistecca alla fiorentina” or simply “fiorentina” is a traditional and worldwide famous dish from Florence. It is a thickly cut and very large Tuscan T-bone steak cooked on a charcoal grill. It is always served rare (“al sangue”). There is no specific etymology for the word “Bistecca” in Italian, in fact, according to many stories, this name comes from a Florentine reinterpretation of two English words.. In 1565, for the celebration of the wedding of Paolo Orsino and Isabella, daughter of the Duke of Florence, a whole ox was roasted in San Lorenzo square and shared with the people of the neighbourhood.

Back then, Florence was an important centre for banking and trade. That night, as it was often the case, few British gentlemen were in town for business and took part as well to the dinner celebration. Won over the amazing taste of the food, they kept asking all night for more “beef steak, beef steak !!” The Florentines liked the sound of these words and, probably without even knowing the meaning, decided to take inspiration from their sound and came out with this original name “Bistecca”.
Here are a few good places where to get a great “beef steak” or Bistecca alla Fiorentina next time you are in Florence:

– Trattoria Cammillo
– Il Sostanza – detto il Troia
– Buca Lapi
– Alla Vecchia Bettola
– Regina Bistecca
– All’Antico ristoro di Cambi
– Il Latini

On the 11th of May 1589, the de’ Medici family and an exclusive group of International guests, gathered to assist to a unique event: a naval battle (Naumachia) in the courtyard of Pitti Palace. The show was part of the celebrations for the wedding of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, the ruling family of Florence, and Cristina Lorena, the favorite niece of the Queen of France.
This incredible representation aimed to give strength and prestige to the de’ Medici family at the presence of the most powerful and ancient European National Monarchies. This spectacular water entertainment was made possible thanks to the great inventiveness of Bernardo Buontalenti.

The courtyard of the Palace was made water-proof for the occasion and flooded with water two meters deep. The battleship was a representation of a Crusade, the battle of Lepanto. On one side the Christians, symbolising the alliance between the de’ Medici family and the French Monarchy, on the other the Turks. In total, 144 soldiers and 18 ships, expressly built for the occasion, took part in the battle.
A scenographic structure, representing a Turkish fortress, was placed close to the Boboli Garden and was finally conquered by the Christian side. Looking at Pitti Palace today, it is difficult to imagine that something like this could have happened in the main courtyard of the Palace! Imagine the astonishment of all the guests assisting to such an extraordinary event!