The floral display of Spello, a tradition that is renewed every year for the solemnity of Corpus Domini. Carpets and floral paintings along the main streets and squares of the Umbrian town in the province of Perugia, make a fine show of themselves by flooding the ancient village with colors and scents.
The floral display of Spello
More than a custom almost a ritual that dates back to XVIII century. It is a religious event which consists in creating floral designs on the asphalt along the most important streets of the city. The flowers are carefully arranged to form geometric patterns or ornate designs, always with a religious theme. Tourists and residents can thus admire the beautiful floral compositions created by local artists. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Spello also organize a religious procession, accompanied by popular music and dances that have been handed down for centuries.
This year, the Infiorata of Spello will be held on 10 and 11 June. The event will be followed by a series of initiatives including concerts, art exhibitions and theatrical performances. A unique opportunity to discover the local culture and history of the Umbrian village. Spello sits on a spur of the Mount Subasio above a fertile plain. In the past the flowers were distributed in bulk on the street, later the techniques were improved. Only the evergreen leaves began to be used and the first beautiful carpets of broom and wild fennel were born, embellished with flower petals of different types.
Currently in Spello about 1.500 meters of carpets and floral paintings are made that celebrate Christ and the Eucharist. The artistic floral displays of Spello in honor of Corpus Christi date back to the beginning of the 1930th century, thanks to the initiative of a woman who, around XNUMX, drew a simple floral arrangement on the street with gorse and fennel. The design obtained considerable acclaim and from that moment the inhabitants of Spello delighted in creating fantastic floral displays, with great attention to detail and perfect colors.
(Images of Spello Flower Festival Facebook page)