I have been sitting here trying to remember where I left off and what adventures I have not recounted yet. I remembered that I still need to explain the Easter cart at the Duomo....as you have seen the photos...the little cart was representative of something but I do not know what.
Florence's tradition is called Scoppio del Carro ("Explosion of the Cart"), and it occurs at the Duomo every Easter Sunday at noon. It's a very old tradition, origins can be traced as far back as the First Crusade in 1099. Think of the amount of dynamite...well it sounds like dynamite going off....they would have used tons since then. Here’s what happens:
It starts with a grand procession, in which a team of oxen decorated with flowers pulls an elaborate cart through the streets of Florence. The oxen, who are accompanied by soldiers, musicians and people dressed in 15th-century garb, pull the cart all the way to the Piazza del Duomo. Once there, a wire is attached, which extends from the cart to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Then, at the key moment during Easter mass, the Archbishop lights a dove-shaped rocket, which travels along the fuse all the way to the cart, lighting the fireworks inside and setting off an elaborate 20-minute pyrotechnics display.
According to legend, if the burning of the cart goes well, it means a prosperous year for Florentines. This probably harkens back to a quasi-pagan tradition hundreds of years ago, when the locals hoped for a good spring harvest.
And finally I could not leave you without a couple of dishes we made. Lamb of course was the most appropriate choice for Easter dinner.
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