Festival of Santa Rosa

Each town/city/village in Italy apparently has a patron saint or religious figure to whom they are beholden. This figure is celebrated once a year by each town on a certain day. For Viterbo, their saint is Santa Rosa, a young woman who in the 10th century yearned to join a religious order, but perished at the age of 18. When they buried her, her body didn't fully decompose and her heart still maintains some kind of form that indicates her worthiness of being celebrated. The day Santa Rosa is celebrated in Viterbo is always September 3rd. However, the festivities start a week or so in advance.

Students arrived this past Sunday and were paired with their host families (pictures and posting to come) and on Monday and Tuesday were given placement exams. On Wednesday the 2nd they did chose their classes. So, during the first week of their being here, they are witness to the craziness that is Santa Rosa and have a four day weekend. Classes begin on Monday the 7th.

The climax of the events is the transport of the "Macchina", which translates to "machine." 150 or so "facchini", which essentially means porter, move a 200 foot tall tower of wood and styrofoam through the streets of Viterbo. These "facchini" are gods in this town. By the way, "facchini" are always men.

AUGUST 26TH, 2009

This is the official flag of the facchini. During the last week of August they held fundraisers. This one was for what is essentially the Red Cross of Italy

Each night is a different menu

The whole town turns out to dine in the evening light and to be amongst each other. FYI, in Italian there are separate verbs for eating lunch "pranzare" versus dinner "chinsare." That's how important food is to this culture.

The evenings entertainment! Apparently this was a cover band for a well-known Italian soft rock group.

The "MACCHINA" which is what the facchini put on their backs and carry through town.

Now, a word about the macchina. Every 5 or 6 years, a new macchina is designed and created. This year, 2009, was the debut of a new macchina, therefore anticipation of the big night is heightened. I keep making the analogy to when they debut a new ball to drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve. The transport of the macchina itself, I have yet to really understand why they do it but I gather it's a tribute to the sacrifice that Santa Rosa made?

SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2009
On the 2nd, a "corteo" (parade) occurs. This is the most religious part of the festival. Citizens of Viterbo dress up in what was worn from the 1200's to the present. They march in chronological order. They start from one side of town and go to a piazza at the other. On their return they come down Via Annio, which is the street on the side of the school. Many of us gathered on the porch to watch. It gave us a birds eye view.

Just like my love of ferry boats, I love marching bands. And there are marching bands every day during the festival. These drummers are leading off the parade.

The mini-facchini. These boys, who are dressed in traditional facchini wear, are the future facchini.

The "Rosine". These young girls are dressed in the habits of the order that Santa Rosa wanted to join before her death.

According to my program (which I cannot yet read), these are "Notai" from the 1200's.

"Chiarine" from the 1300's.

Skipping to the 1700's, these are "Magistrati Pontifici".

Modern Day Knights of the Templar

The heart of Santa Rosa being carried by the facchini.

SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2009

At each of the 4 piazzas where the facchini set down the macchina, stands are erected.

They city puts down sand to smooth out the streets and also to provide traction for the facchini to transport the macchina up the final hill. They load extra facchini in the back to keep it level and they RUN it up this hill in their final push.

The front of the Church of Santa Rosa.

I walked in at around 11AM and found myself in the midst of services. The organ music and the singing (I think on tape) was moving. I see myself going to services every once in a while just for the music which is so moving.

The dome of the Church of Santa Rosa.

I have 5 windows of my apartment which open onto Via Cavour, one of the streets that the facchini transport the macchina. Here's a time lapse series of what it looked like out my window. Here it is at 8AM.

Noon

4PM

6PM as the facchini take one last march through town. They are given the biggest applause.

The band plays the song that is the song of the Festival. It's kind of catchy.

With everyone hanging out their windows, I got to meet a lot of my neighbors. Doesn't mean I can communicate with them, but I now wave when I see them during the day.

Part of my contract states that because I live in the school apartment that has the 5 windows on Via Cavour, I am highly encouraged to open up my apartment to let other faculty, staff and their kids view from my windows. Here we are watching the beginning of the festivities (my street is the second of 5 legs of the transport). We are watching the facchini take last rites as there's always the chance of a bad accident and perhaps, death.

September 3rd, 2009 and a full moon.

Here's the macchina at "Piazza Grande" which is a block up the street from my apartment. The facchini get a fifteen minute rest at each stop.

The macchina moving down Via Cavour. See how the facchini on the edges have rails which they carry on their shoulders. The facchini underneath wear these leather soft helmets that have padding on the head and carry it on their heads.

The macchina is disassembled and put into storage for the year until September 3rd, 2010.