Every year, throughout May and June, the streets of Italian towns transform into beautiful, colorful pageants of flowers. The “infiorata” festival means “decorated with flowers,” and it is during this time that you can explore exquisite works of art created by only what Mother Nature provides. The streets are carpeted with flower petals in displays of incredible artistry.

Flower carpet events happen in many places around the world. One of the most popular flower carpet events is the Flower Carpet biennial in Brussels. Flower carpets are made on the occasion of Onam festival in Kerala.

This breathtaking custom began in the 13th century, but the version that still graces the streets today began in the 17th century. The tradition goes back to the day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s feast in 1625. This year, on the 29th of June, the head florist of the Basilica, Benedetto Drei, created mosaics of flower petals at the Basilica.

⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Three of Italy’s Best Infiorata Festivals. The Tradition of Making Carpets of Flowers (italymagazine.com)

In 1778, the tradition became linked to the Christian celebration of Corpus Domini. In Genzano, a huge carpet of flowers is laid out for the entire length of the center street to mark the occasion.

In Genzano (map), the flower carpet covers about 2,000 square meters, which is over 21,500 square feet. That is a bit under half of a football field. This display consists of 15 panels and uses about 500,000 flower blooms, petals, and seeds.

The festival itself lasts about 48 hours, then it all comes to an end. They are showcased from Friday through Sunday, with the main event and procession taking place on Sunday.

Some of the most notable displays include the towns of Orvieta in Umbria (map), Pienza in Tuscany (map), Potenzoni di Briatica in Calabria (map), and Brugnato in Liguria (map). They are also held at the Abbey of Chiaravelle della Columbia in Fidenza.

The town of Spello (map) is another favorite flower carpet viewing location. This town began its festival in the 1930’s. It takes place on the ninth Sunday after Easter, when many of the main festivals take place. The event ends when the Bishop carries the blessed sacrament in a procession. (*Infiorate di Spello)

atac.roma.it | Rome Metro

The Metro is the most punctual form of public transportation in Rome. All lines open at 05:30 and stop running at 23:30, except Fridays and Saturdays, when the last trains leave from the stations at 01:30.

The Tram routes mostly skirt the historic centre, but there are stops convenient for the Vatican, the Colosseum, and the Trastevere area. The number 8 does run into the centre to Largo Argentina, not far from the Pantheon, and terminate at Piazza Venezia.

⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Bus, tram, metro (turismoroma.it) • Trasporti&Mobilità (romamobilita.it)

BUS: Tickets for regular ATAC buses, Metro, and trams are the same fares and are compatible with each other. Roma Pass includes full access to the public transport system. There is also an alternative pass called OMNIA Vatican and Rome which includes the services provided by Roma Pass.

Hubs of the night buses are Termini and Piazza Venezia. All the bus lines have the prefix “N”; N1 and N2 routes are similar to metro line A and B respectively, N28 for line C.

TRAIN: Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori • Trenitalia • International Rail • RailEurope (*Rail travel in Italy). Roma Termini station • Roma Tiburtina station • Roma Ostiense station.

AIRPORT: L’aeroporto di Roma Fiumicino • Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport.

FERRY: *Ferries in the Mediterranean

Vi presentiamo il video ufficiale dell’Infiorata di Genzano di Roma 2018. Abbiamo cercato di sintetizzare in pochi minuti tutto ciò che la nostra manifestazione più importante rappresenta: lavoro, sudore, fatica, ma anche passione, emozione e maestosità.

Grazie a tutti coloro che hanno contribuito a rendere unica questa edizione, la 240esima. E un grazie a Matteo Bocale, Marco Ciccotti, Dario Ciancolini, Valerio Genovese e Andrea Normano di Vibes Art Studio, che hanno realizzato questo piccolo capolavoro.

Un grazie particolare anche a Ricky Eagle per la soundtrack originale ed a Vanni Martellacci per le riprese aeree.

⇒ video source: Comune di Genzano di Roma / youtube.com /

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