Book now
Book now

Hotel Palazzo Guadagni - Florence

Website

Oct 18 2019

Easter in Florence, an explosive tradition

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?

Written by battistin · Categorized: Stories on Florence

Search

Recent Posts

  • The 1966 Flood Of Florence
  • The Window Always Kept Open
  • The wine windows of Florence
  • Giardino Torrigiani
  • Under the Ponte Vecchio: a boat trip on the Arno river
  • Easter in Florence, an explosive tradition
  • Bistecca alla fiorentina
  • A Naval Battle In Pitti Palace
  • When the gilded ball fell off the Dome
  • The Vasari Corridor

Archives

  • October 2019
  • May 2019

Palazzo Guadagni

Hotel Palazzo Guadagni di Budini Gattai Lorenzo
Piazza Santo Spirito, 9
50125 Florence
Tel.: +39.055.2658376
info@palazzoguadagni.com

View map

Driving directions


Member of
Nozio
Booking the hotel directly with no extra middleman costs: this is the right choice for economically sustainable, good value, authentic and high-quality tourism. Nozio has selected this hotel because it offers you:

· a high-quality Official Website where you can book at good rates due to no extra middleman costs;
· great value for money confirmed by the real opinions of guests registered to the Nozio Community.
Nozio Traveller
Are you a Nozio Traveller? Access extra discounts reserved only for you >

Hotel Palazzo Guadagni di Budini Gattai Lorenzo

  • Piazza Santo Spirito, 9 - 50125 Firenze
  • Iscrizione al Registro delle Imprese di Firenze n. 07210630484
  • N. REA FI-687466
  • C.F. BDNLNZ88E07D612A
Keep in touch
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Partner Structure
Oltrarno 9

Newsletter

Join us to receive unique content about Florence.

By clicking Subscribe, you agree to receive information on promotions, news and events curated by Palazzo Guadagni.

  • Book now

Palazzo Guadagni © 2000- Hotel Marketing by Nozio Business | Copyright/IP Policy - Cookie Policy - Privacy Policy