Scoppio Del Carro in Florence

When & Where The Italian festival Scoppio Del Carro takes place on the morning of Easter Sunday in the city of Florence in Tuscany - Italy.

What to expect A thirty foot antique cart (which has been use for over 500 years) is dragged from Prato al Porto to Piazza Del Duomo by a team of beautifully decorated white oxen. The cart or carro is surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, musicians and plebs wearing 15th Century clothes. A fire is struck by the Pazzi family using the historic flints from Jerusalem (see history) at Chiesa degli Santi Apostoli. The fire is then carried to the cathedral square. The cart is placed inside the cathedral- filled with fireworks - a mechanical dove is released and the thousands of people flood outside to enjoy the half hour firework display. A good display means a good harvest.

Getting There Book a flight into Florence or Pisa airport here or book a train to Florence from anywhere in Europe here

Il Scoppio Florence

There's lots of great hotels and quality hostels in Florence and Tuscany available here

Florence Scoppio Carro History

History This great Italian festival on Easter Sunday dates from the first Crusades in 1097who laid siege on Jerusalem in an attempt to convert it to Christianity. The Florentine Piazzino de Pazzi climbed was first to climb the walls of Jerusalem and as a reward his commander gave him three flints from the Church of Holy Sepulchre. These are the same flints used today.

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