The Umbrian Town of Spello

In the beautiful Umbrian town of Spello, which is known for Pinturicchio’s frescoes of the early sixteenth century that are inspired by the New Testament, in the Baglioni Chapel in Santa Maria Maggiore church, the Infiorate di Spello takes place during the Sunday after Corpus Domini (Corpus Christi, 26 May 2016). Authentic Provence always attend this event. The ninth Sunday after Easter (28 and 29 May 2016) is an unusual act of religious devotion, namely the creation of elaborate pictures composed using cut up flower petals spread along the streets of Spello. The entire town is carpeted in flowers and some of the compositions display remarkable skill. The Infiorate is competitive and awards are given to the teams in a number of categories. The tradition of flower petal compositions is relatively recent in Italy. The famous Corpus Domini flower carpet celebration in Genzano, 30 km outside Rome, dates from 1778, and the Spello tradition began only in the 1930’s but is now famous. Work is carried on throughout Saturday night. At noon on Sunday, the bells of the cathedral are rung and the Bishop sets forth to parade through Spello piazza by piazza.

Other interesting sites and monuments:

Cappella Baglioni in Santa Maria Maggiore (XII-XIII)
San Lorenzo (XII)
Sant ‘Andrea (thirteenth)
Porta Venere