Called “Hispellum” by the Romans, majestic Umbrian hill town Spello perches on the lower slopes of Mt. Subasio….
…surveying below the Valle Umbra Nord.
500 square meters of the mosaic floor of a Roman villa – discovered in 2006 – now draws visitors to Spello all year long.
And every year on the Feast of Corpus Domini (60 days after Easter), thousands roam the town to view the multitudinous stunning floral carpet spreading out in the medieval alleyways……
These flowering tapestries, le Infiorate (literally, “the flowerings”) are a welcome to the sacred Host which will be carried through the streets in solemn procession in the late morning.
Various groups of infioratori (infiorate-workers) start at 10 pm or so the night prior on their masterpieces, working all night.
Arriving at 8 a.m. on the day of Corpus Domini, one can see tired, drowsy groups of friends resting as they survey their masterpieces and await the arrival of the procession:
You’ll see some adding finishing touches to their creations or putting away the boxes which had held the flower petals…
An image of each infiorata with explanation of the theme is posted near the floral art work.
Other infioratori were sweeping the stone pavement near their creation…
Some infioratori were preparing to take down the protective borders erected for the all-night work (generally ropes stretched from one small pole to another), for there would be no barriers around the Infiorate during the procession, starting in a couple of hours:
Finishing touches were being added by many, of all ages:
The categories (which would be judged) are various: quadri (“pictures,” i.e, large infiorata created in the piazzas and large open spaces), tappetti (“carpets,”, i.e, those carpeting the narrow medieval alleyways) and Under 14 (floral masterpieces created by chiildren, under 14).
For the creation of nearly 60 floral splendors, about 15 millions flowers of roughly 65 species had been collected and used either fresh or dried to create a varied palette.
When we arrived in Spello around 8 a.m. on the Feast of Corpus Domini (June 11, 2023), floral splendor welcomed us: an infiorata entitled “I Have a Dream”:
Martin Luther King himself was the first figure of the infiorata….
—and King was flanked by Mother Teresa:
Nelson Mandela was there, too:
As for every infiorata, the group of infioratori had prepared a display of the design with explanation, near their floral creation:
Two smiling and tired (but pleased) infioratori were near their floral splendor carrying away some of the boxes labeled with the names of flowers that the group had used in the creation:
Their flowers had included acacia, wisteria, various colors of roses, wild broom, cornflowers of various colors, lilacs – to name a just few.
Near another infiorata, the workers had posted a labled display of all their flowers used:
The next infiorata we viewed – created with grande passione by a group of teens – quite astounded for its beauty and complexity:
I noted a crouching young man, still at work, adding flower petals and he smiled his “grazie” to me as I complimented him (and all the group) saying with awe, “Bellissima!”
Nearby, a companion working with him on this infiorata, exclaimed “Anna, non mi riconosci!?” (“Anna, don’t you recognize me?!”)
I turned and saw that it was Christian, grandson of our dear rural farm friend, Peppa.
Of course, we had to have our photos taken so that I could show his nonna – and all his Assisi aunts and uncles, cousins.
Christian wore proudly his Infiorate t-shirt and hat, highlighted with a bright yellow flower. In his right hand, he was holding part of a cornetto (croissant),,,,,,
…as his tired and hungry group of infioratori had just shared a snack.The cardboard box of cornetti flanked a nearly-empty box of the group’s flower petals:
A fellow infioratore passed a cornetto to a companion next to the sign illustrating their floral creation:
The group’s infiorata commemorated the Giornata Mondiale della Gioventu” (“International Youth Day in August, 2022) when Pope Francis exonerated all youth to join in a “fraternal embrace” abandoning “all false borders”:
Just across the piazza from the infiorata of Christian’s group, floral splendor spread out in front of the imposing Roman city gate, Porta Consolare (Ist-c A.D.) : yet another splendid quadro:
Up the street from the Porta Consolare, a group of tired – but proud – children were seated near their “Under 14” infiorata
They had depicted children of all nationalities just above their handprints, done in flowers:
…and…many visitors took photos:
More “Under 14” splendor was up the street – and tired infioratori who had worked on a floral tapestry nearby were resting, their project completed:
And not just flower petals were used in the creations but often, the full flowers:
…leaves…
….and seed pods (even pea pods)
Even artichokes joined the flower petals….
….eye-catching details of this floral splendor spreading out before Spello’s Church of San Lorenzo:
Seed pods joined with deep green wild fennel at the base of one tappetto (carpet) in the winding backstreets:
The enticing pungent profumo of the dill blended with the perfume of the yellow wild broom also used in this tappetto; after all, the Infiorate appeal not just to the sense of sight….
I followed the tappetto majesty…..
And the floral splendor of Spello was all around – and not just in the floral tapestries spreading out before me:
I saw almost all of the masterpieces before the procession headed out of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the priest under a canopy bearing the Sacred Host, followed by caped confraternity members.
I missed following the procession this year as the Host was solemnly carried over the floral wonders, confraternity members and the populace following (but trying to walk only on the edges).
In upper Assisi, the procession had not walked over a splendid infiorata created in front of the early 14th-c. Church of the Vallegloria with convent of cloistered Poor Clares adjacent:
The deep red drops of blood of the crucified Christ dripped onto the red poppies in the Infiorata in the piazza
at one of the hightest points of the town:
From here I headed into a winding narrow backstreet, just behind others following the procession (ahead of us).
Tappetti (carpets) here showed slight signs that the procession had preceded us, for some of the flower petals were now outside of their borders:
The Arco Romano, the Roman arch (1st-c. A.D) was at the top of this narrow street:
Just beyond the Roman arch, a small girl worked alone, intently patting back into place flower petals which had been moved when the Host had been carried across the infiorata during the procession:
The child’s mother was nearby and delighted to have her daughter – crowned with flowers – photographed as she worked:
Just beyond the Madonna and Child infiorata which the little girl was trying to repair, a few people gathered around another flower petal tapestry, some taking photos of the work, with a ladder still standing nearby. (Ladders are often set up near the infiorate for photo-taking):
I discovered later that the winning infiorata for 2023 was that one nearby, being photographed. I took this photo although just of a detail of the Crucified Christ, viewed in extraordinary perspective from above.
**Do see here photos of the 2023 winning infiorata (and not only):
Towering over the floral splendor was a 13th-century medieval tower restored by my husband Pino and his crew:
From a wall just opposite, Assisi spread out on the slopes of Mount Subasio off in the distance.
Majestic splendor all around.
And not just in the floral splendor we had viewed that morning.
Click here for a full photo of the winning image (the same group of infioratori took first prize in 2022, as well, with this masterpiece):
This is a video of the 2023 Infiorate (enjoy the images even if you don’t speak italiano).
Do see my various blog notes on both Spello and the Infiorate. Here is one on the wondrous floral festivalof Corpus Domini le Infiorate.
Click here to read about another splendid Spello Infiorate festival
See floral splendor here on the official website of the Spello Infiorate
Mama Mia, Anne. Splendid. Such beauty and artistry. We are in awe of these infiorati. Photos are gorgeous. What a sight to see all this beauty in the already spectacular Spello.
And time to come back, Louise! Ready!?
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Seen my blog note on the Infiorate this year in ASsisi?