EASTER IN FLORENCE (THE EXPLOSION OF THE CART)

Every year for Easter at 11am ther's a folklore tradition in Florence, called "Lo scoppio del carro" (the cart explosion).

If you're planning to be in Florence Sunday 8th April, get ready for this important event of our city.

Scoppio del carro - Florence, Italy

The story of this event is so old. It starts in year 1097 when Pazzino de' Pazzi, a Florentine from a prominent family, was the first man to scale the walls of Jerusalem. As a reward of this act of bravery, his commander gave him three flints from the church of the Holy Sepulchre, which were carried back in Tuscany. Now these are kept in the church of Santi Apostoli.
It became the practice for a "holy fire" to be struck from these flints at Eastertide, which was then carried througout the city by groups of young men wearing torches.

By the end of the 15th century the cart explosion assumed its present form.

Scoppio del carro - Florence. Italy

On the Easter morning the 9.1mt high cart (30 feet) moves to the Duomo (cathedral). It is escorted by 150 soldiers, musicians and people in 15th century dress.

The cart is loaded with fireworks and stretching to the high altar inside of the catedral, is fitted with a mechanical dove (la colombina).

At 10.30am the cardinal of Florence started with the Easter Mass and at the end at 11am after the singing of the Gloria the cardinal lights a fuse in the colombina with the Easter fire. It then speeds outside of the cathedral to ignite the cart outside.

The fireworks show lasts approx. 20 minutes. A successful explosion of the cart is supposed to guarantee a good harvest, stable civic life and good business.