The most beautiful holiday, Infiorata, is held in May in Italy. The name is translated as "decoration with flowers." Many city streets are covered with carpets of millions of petals, creating real masterpieces. Among them are the most complex geometric ornaments and famous paintings.
Such colorful spectacles take place in many cities of the country, but the most famous holiday is in Genzano.
History
Living carpet is an old tradition. In 1625, on the day of the patron saints of Rome, the floor of St. Peter's Basilica was decorated with mosaics of petals in the Vatican.
The first Infiorata was held in 1778. Then the townspeople laid out small pictures only in front of their houses. The archbishop, who saw the holiday, ordered to spread such "carpets" on the streets every year.
The event takes place from 18 to 20 May. It lasts three days, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday. The festival is held in honor of the church holiday of Corpus Christi.
A prerequisite is the presence of a frame. It is made of carob, myrtle, pistachios, mastic and even sprigs of fennel or dill.
Preparation
Since the holiday is a competition, the authors of the best floral carpets receive awards. All children are allowed to trample masterpieces on Monday. Traditionally, luck will accompany the one who tramples the image the most throughout the year.
Although the holiday lasts for several days, they prepare for it throughout the whole year. Plots are chosen in advance. For this, a special competition is held. They come up with plots, draw sketches, prepare flowers for future masterpieces.
Tons of flowers are brought to the city on the eve of the festival. On Saturday nights, residents carefully separate the petals, arranging them according to shades in wooden boxes and baskets.
On the night of the collection of images, all city institutions are open, as if not a single inhabitant is sleeping. You can watch the creation process and sit in a cafe or bar.
Carrying out
Designers outline the contours of the future picture on the first day of the festival. On the second day, filling in the sketch with fresh flowers begins. The aroma of Turkish carnations, wildflowers, roses, gerberas is in the air - there are no restrictions on the names of "drawing materials".
The action continues until Sunday morning. The townspeople come to admire the unusual painting. Each quarter creates its own picture. A professional artist supervises the action, and assistants spray the petals so that they do not fade ahead of time.
Tourists begin to gather on the streets in the early morning. The event officially opens at half past six. People come to admire it from all over Italy. It is allowed to move only on narrow sidewalks so as not to damage the paintings on the pavements.
From 8 in the morning, traffic on the streets is difficult. At 11, a procession leaves the temple. You can enjoy the splendor of the images in just a few hours.
Recently, it was decided to set up special zones for tourists. There, guests of the city can take part in the creation of the picture. Areas of creativity for children are also thought out.
