by Ann Wojtysiak and Leonardo Tombelli, guest bloggers

While the French concept of terroir traditionally describes how environmental factors impart distinctive character to a crop, a similar sense of place emerges during springtime in Italy.  In Florence, the region’s unique identity expands beyond agriculture, weaving directly into the city’s rich urban, geographic,  and cultural patrimony.   

The Wisteria or “Glicine” of Florence

By late March we began to see blooming Wisteria vines almost everywhere, not only in urban gardens, but along sidewalks and courtyards. The woody twining vines are native to Asia but were later introduced to various European countries including Italy where the plant flourishes.  

         The Wisteria Tunnel at the Bardini Gardens, almost in full bloom, provided a beautiful display.

Garden Door in Lucca.    Restaurant pergola entrance at night 

The Scoppio del Carro

Our 2026 Spring trip to Italy included the Easter Holiday.  We were fortunate to have a in view of a holiday tradition whose roots date back over 800 years. The Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”) is held in the Piazza of the Cathedral.   

Duomo of Santa Maria DelFiore

Details of the Bapistry

Florentine Civic Tradition

This event is a Florentine civic tradition.  Every Easter Sunday, a wooden cart, packed with fireworks and other pyrotechnics, is lit providing a historic spectacle.

The Legend:  The event of the Scoppio del Carro has its origins in the First Crusade, when Europeans laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. In 1097, Pazzino de’ Pazzi, a Florentine from a prominent family, claimed that he was the first man to scale the walls of Jerusalem.  As a reward for this act of bravery, his commander gave him three flints from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which were then carried back to Tuscany and kept in the Church of Santi Apostoli.

It then became a practice for a “holy fire” to be struck from these flints on Easter Sunday. Initially the fire was carried throughout the city by groups of young men bearing torches.  Over the centuries, the tradition evolved into a cart that was rolled through the city to the cathedral.  Once there holy fire would be lit. By the end of the 15th century, the Scoppio del Carro assumed its present form.

Today, on the morning of Easter Sunday, a 30‑foot‑tall antique fireworks cart is drawn from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza del Duomo. Hauled by white oxen adorned with garlands of the first flowers and herbs of spring, the cart is escorted by a parade of soldiers, musicians, and citizens in historical dress.

Once the cart loaded with fireworks arrives in the piazza it is attached to a wire that stretches through the Cathedral’s doors to the high altar inside.  The wire is fitted with a mechanical dove (the “colombina”) meant to ignite the cart. At the singing of the Gloria in Excelsis Deo during Easter Mass, the Cardinal of Florence lights a fuse in the colombina with the Easter fire. The columbina then speeds along the wire down the main aisle of the Cathedral to ignite the cart outside. Once lit, if the Columbina returns back into the Cathedral on its wire Tuscan farmers were assured of a good harvest and the citizens of good fortune for the year.  

Yes, the Columbina returned to its perch in spring of 2026.  The Florentines can now look forward to a prosperous year and good fortune for all. 

      While the fireworks were quite a spectacle, it was also fun to observe people from all walks of life in traditional dress. 

Distributing the olive branches of peace, which has been in short supply.  

Guest bloggers and retirees, Ann Wojtysiak and Leonardo Tombelli