Easter is a particularly good time to visit Florence. The weather is usually mild and sunny without being hot, ideal for exploring the city and its museums, and this first important holiday since Christmas, apart from its religious implications, brings with it the realization that Spring has really come at last. The first flowers are in bloom, glorious clusters of wysteria trail down the walls (unforgettable on the road up to Fiesole), while swallows and house martins circle in the sky and start building their nests. One of Florence's most fascinating traditional events is held in this period, generally known as the Explosion of the Fire Cart. This ancient ceremony has always been a very popular attraction for the townspeople and the farming communities from outside Florence alike. Today it is still a very spectacular event that visitors to the city should not miss, though they may have to compete for a view because many Florentines still flock here for the occasion. This popular festival, one of the first feasts in the Spring, is supposed to be a good omen for a rich harvest, one of the many pagan rites that was later transformed into a religious event. According to legend, the festival itself dates back to the first Crusades, led by Godfrey of Bouillon. The Crusaders were called to free the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the infidels commanded by Saladin. After the long journey to reach Palestine, and many hard fought battles, Jerusalem was finally taken on July 15th 1099. A Florentine, Pazzo or Pazzino de' Pazzi, gave ample proof of his courage by being the first to scale the walls and raise the fl ag of the Crusaders above the Holy City. His heroism led Godfrey of Bouillion to reward him with three flints from the Holy Sepulchre, which Pazzino brought back to Florence on July 16th 1101, when great celebrations were held in his honour. The three flints were at first placed in the family palace and then taken to the Church of Santa Maria Sopra a Porta in Mercato Nuovo. In later years they were transferred to the Church of Santi Apostoli. Here Pazzino's three flints are rubbed together until they spark and light the Easter candle; this, in its turn, is used to fire the coals that are placed in the gilded silver and copper brazier (14th-15th century), which is usually kept in the first chapel on the left. The so-called "holy fire" is delivered to the Archbishop of Florence before the Mass in Santa Maria del Fiore on Easter morning. Immediately after the liberation of Jerusalem, the Crusaders gathered together in the Church of the Resurrection and received the Holy fire as a symbol of purification. This solemn occasion is what lies behind the celebration held in the Cathedral of Florence on Easter Sunday. At first, young men and youths were given the Holy fire, lit with the Holy flints, which they carried in procession around the city in order to light the fires in every household. The Pazzi family was traditionally in charge of this ceremony and fire distribution. Later a cart was used to carry these "fires", probably an old war cart, then other changes led to the ceremony of the Fire Cart as we know it today, probably introduced in around the late 14th century. The huge old wooden Cart, or Brindellone, has gradually become more and more festive and popular over the years. The procession, with the great fire cart drawn by six white oxen, starts out early on Easter Sunday from Via il Prato, where it is housed, and proceeds to Piazza del Duomo, where it is placed in position between the Baptistery and the Cathedral. The Archbishop of Florence lights the fuse of the dove-shaped rocket with the "holy fire" from Santi Apostoli during the morning service, when the "Gloria" is intoned. The dove runs swiftly along a steel wire stretched across the length of the nave to the cart outside. It immediately sets off the deafening firework display from dozens of rockets and fire-crackers strung around the centuries-old cart, built in 1622 and carefully restored after being damaged in the flood of 1966. The dove then returns to the High Altar. If the dove's flight is successful, though the modern mechanism that has replaced the ancient "dove" means that it rarely misses its target, then the onlookers can go home satisfied, because this is a good omen. Otherwise there is nothing left to do but continue to have faith in God, which, anyway, is surely the true significance behind this rite. We warmly advise visitors to Florence to go and see this really unusual celebration, you will not be disappointed.
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