Traditional Florentine festivals: the Rificolona

 by Ilaria Gelichi

As every September, this year comes again the festival of the Rificolona, a typical Florentine feast. This traditional event takes place every September, 7^th in Florence and its origins are rooted in the traditions of the nearby countryside. On the eve of the anniversary of the Nativity of Our Lady, farmers headed to Piazza S.S. Annunziata waiting for the festivity and bringing their goods for the market, which usually takes place on this day. The young girls where called with the nickname “fierucolone” (fierucola: little fiera = fair), so from this comes the word rificolona. Later this word began to be used for paper lanterns which were used to light up the streets in the countryside, completely dark at that time.

Tomorrow, Saturday 7^th, the procession of rificolone will leave from piazza della Signoria and will join a group of almost 500 pilgrims coming on foot from Impruneta, following the old countryside streets (11 km). They will arrive around 7.45pm to piazza Santa Felicita, then leave again and cross Ponte Vecchio, walking on via Por Santa Maria to piazza della Signoria again, around 8.40pm. The procession will leave again, cross piazza S. Giovanni around 9.15pm and lead to piazza S.S. Annunziata, where the feast will start at 9:45pm.
Make sure to bring your own rificolona, and enjoy!

As every September, this year comes again the festival of the Rificolona, a typical Florentine feast. This traditional event takes place every September, 7^th in Florence and its origins are rooted in the traditions of the nearby countryside. On the eve of the anniversary of the Nativity of Our Lady, farmers headed to Piazza S.S. Annunziata waiting for the festivity and bringing their goods for the market, which usually takes place on this day. The young girls where called with the nickname “fierucolone” (fierucola: little fiera = fair), so from this comes the word rificolona. Later this word began to be used for paper lanterns which were used to light up the streets in the countryside, completely dark at that time.

Tomorrow, Saturday 7^th, the procession of rificolone will leave from piazza della Signoria and will join a group of almost 500 pilgrims coming on foot from Impruneta, following the old countryside streets (11 km). They will arrive around 7.45pm to piazza Santa Felicita, then leave again and cross Ponte Vecchio, walking on via Por Santa Maria to piazza della Signoria again, around 8.40pm. The procession will leave again, cross piazza S. Giovanni around 9.15pm and lead to piazza S.S. Annunziata, where the feast will start at 9:45pm.

Make sure to bring your own rificolona, and enjoy!