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Florence returns to celebrate its Patron Saint with a rich calendar of events and the spectacular “Fireworks” organized by the San Giovanni Battista Society, thanks to a contribution of over 100 thousand euros from the CR Firenze Foundation, which has supported the celebrations. Events not to be missed from 16th to 27th June.
Among the new features is the campaign for new members which provides 200 seats, out of the 1,900 set up on the Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia, to be able to watch the fireworks show from a unique and evocative perspective. The invitation to join the San Giovanni Battista Society is addressed to everyone and especially to young people up to the age of 27 for whom a reduced fee is foreseen.
New features also for the plays of light with the choreographies that will be dedicated to Florence with the inevitable colored lilies, to the national Tricolor and then the night will be colored yellow for a special tribute to the start of the Tour de France 2024. The “final discharge” is a great surprise “completely renovated.
June 24th will be a special date, Pope Francis has appointed Don Gherardo Gambelli as the new archbishop of Florence, the parish priest of the Florentine church Madonna della Tosse will be ordained bishop in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Since 1796, the Society of San Giovanni Battista Odv has organized the show that animates and colors the night of 24 June, when the Florentines flock to the banks of the Arno, or choose a panoramic point on the hills from which to admire the sparkling crackling from the fort emotional impact. An ancient tradition that has become a fixture for generations and attracts many tourists every year, a burden that was once supported by the great Florentine families and donations from the banks, and which for 90 years has been supported by the CR Firenze Foundation.
The program of the celebrations
The morning of June 16th at 11:00 am appointment in Piazza della Signoria where the Coronation of Marzocco is celebrated on the Arengario of Palazzo Vecchio. The Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic parades from Palagio di Parte Guelfa to Piazza della Signoria and then joins the delegation of the Society of San Giovanni Battista, holder of the Crown. At 11.15am the Corona del Marzocco Prize will be awarded to Silvia Daddi, owner of “Mollica’s”, and Gianmaria Vassallo. Followed by the performance of the Bandierai degli Uffizi.
For the fourth consecutive year, the ancient ceremony is back, brought back to life by the Municipality of Florence on the initiative of the San Giovanni Battista Society, in collaboration with the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic and the Calcio Storico Fiorentino and the Paolo Penko Goldsmith’s Workshop which creates the masterpiece of goldsmith art adorned with pearls, garnets, crystals of various cuts and shapes and a lapis lazuli. The Award, awarded to two young people who tell the story of Tuscany with their work and their profession, is also the work of the Paolo Penko goldsmith’s shop. It is a miniature reproduction of the Corona del Marzocco made of golden alloy with the ancient technique of lost wax casting and finished by hand. The wooden base is the work of the historic Falegnameria Biagioni, hand painted by Francesco Forconi, aka Skim. The contemporary Florentine artist uses the style of “Harmonic Chaos” which distinguishes him and the color green, following the order of the Calcio Storico districts, after the blue and red of past years.
The evening of June 22nd at 9.00 pm meeting in Piazza Duomo for the start of the 84th edition of the Cetilar Run Night of San Giovanni. The race is included in the calendar of official events celebrating the Patron Saint of Florence and is one of the most iconic races on the Italian scene, which is part of the regional calendar of the Italian Athletics Federation. An exciting 10 km competitive route among the most evocative monuments of the city since 1938. With departure and arrival in Piazza S. Giovanni, in front of the Duomo, it is an unmissable event for running lovers, and it is an event that unites perfectly reflects the sporting and cultural spirit of Florence.
The patron
The morning of June 24th at 8.30 am the Procession of Homage parades from Via Folco Portinari towards Piazza Duomo and at the Loggia del Bigallo it joins the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic and then heads towards Via Calzaiuoli and Piazza della Signoria where the delivery of the Cross of San Giovanni takes place to the mayor of Florence. At 9:00 Piazza della Signoria becomes colorful with the performance of the Bandierai degli Uffizi. Immediately afterwards the procession leaves Piazza della Signoria to take Via Calzaiuoli and arrive in Piazza del Duomo. At 10:00 am at the Loggia del Bigallo, the Exhibition of the Reliquary of the Society of Saint John the Baptist and the Crosses of Saint John returns for the first time after the pandemic and the restoration work carried out by Montedomini.
The procession then moves to the Baptistery of San Giovanni to celebrate the Offering of the Candles to the Archbishop and the Florentine chapter by the mayor and the Society of San Giovanni Battista. At 10.30 am appointment in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore for the Solemn Mass in honor of the Patron Saint in the presence of the Deputation of San Giovanni Battista who also delivers the Cross of San Giovanni to the Archbishop of Florence. For the twenty-first year the Cross of St. John is created for the occasion by the Paolo Penko goldsmith’s shop, shaped in silver with the ancient technique of lost wax casting and embellished with the caesoro technique and nine settings, drawing inspiration from the Saint John holds his hand in the polyptych “Madonna with Child and Saints” by Jacopo Di Cione known as Orcagna, dated 1383 and located in the Church of SS. Apostoli and Biagio.
In the evening at 9.00 pm on the Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia the concert of the State Police Musical Band precedes the long-awaited show at 10.00 pm when the lights go down over Florence and there is silence to witness 40 minutes of great emotions with the Fires of San Giovanni.
“The participation of the State Police in this important Florentine event demonstrates the closeness to all citizens of the institution that I have the honor of representing in the lily city. – underlined the Police Commissioner Maurizio Auriemma – Through the universal language expressed with the music, let us enhance and consolidate once again the culture of dialogue and the strong bond with Florence of women and men in uniform at the service of legality.”
In the afternoon of June 27 at the end of the celebrations at the Società Canottieri Firenze, an appointment on the banks of the Arno for the Challenge – Trofeo San Giovanni, a regatta between boats with eight rowers from as many nations – Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain with the historic crew of Cambridge University, Holland, Slovenia, Spain and of course Italy – in a mixed crew of 4 women and 4 men, over a distance of 500 metres. A Challenge strongly desired by the red and white rowing club, in concert with the Filippi shipyard, excellence in the production of rowing boats and official supplier of boats for the Italian Rowing Federation, to welcome the first, historic start of the cycling Tour de France from ‘Italy, scheduled in Florence on June 29th. Grand finale at sunset to decide the winners with illuminated lanes under Ponte Vecchio.
“This year too we have organized a great calendar of events to celebrate the Patron Saint – declares Claudio Bini, president of the San Giovanni ODV Society – which culminate with the fireworks, thanks to the CR Firenze Foundation which has been supporting financially for over 90 years the fireworks show. The Fochi which every year offer new and extraordinary scenographic effects require a financial commitment and for this reason we also ask the Florentines to support us.
We made an appeal, through social media, to make the tradition known to the new generations and increasingly involve young people, as volunteers for the organization of the event, and to invite new members to join the Society of St. John the Baptist. June 24th is a great celebration that brings together Florentines and tourists to look up at the sky in amazement – he concludes – and our goal is to outdo ourselves so that we don’t say “The ones from the other year were better”.
”Our Institution has supported the ‘fires’ of San Giovanni and the Company’s activities in a decisive way since its inception – declares the Vice President of the CR Firenze Foundation Maria Oliva Scaramuzzi. In fact, we have the same desire to promote, especially among the new generations, knowledge of the city and its illustrious history. This year we will have the surprise of seeing the splendid Loggia del Bigallo which our Foundation also contributed to restoring decorated again after a few years, on the day of the celebration and we will be accompanied, in the moments preceding the fireworks show, by the Police band of State. May the patron saint’s day be a great sign of renewed love for our city this year”.
