“The Flowers of Umbria, Part 2”
Where Nature meets Art
Just a 90-minute drive from Castelluccio di Norcia, in the province of Perugia, sits the charming 11th century walled town of Spello. Known for their honey-coloured houses with flower-filled balconies, Spello is built on the lower slopes of Mount Subasio. Interestingly, the pink marble from the mountain used to build the town gives it a rosy hue, especially evident at sunrise and sunset. Thanks to the centuries-old annual tradition of a flower festival that celebrates the Corpus Domini feast, this picture-perfect town has also earned the well-deserved title as the capital of flowers.
Flower-filled streets and pink houses is the perfect prelude to the mastery of floral art this Umbrian town is known for
Fragrant History
The ritual of honouring divinity by throwing flowers or creating flower compositions is a dateless event in many areas of the world. This tradition in Spello, which has gone from originally throwing flowers to then placing them in art forms on the pavement, was first documented in 1831 when painter and then-mayor, Benvenuto Crispoldi, depicted the procession of Corpus Domini in one of his paintings. Called l’Infiorata, it is a custom where groups of infioratori (floral artists) come together to create carpets entirely out of flowers that decorate the procession route. The design concept is always one of religious relevance and, throughout history, there is evidence of how religious devotion is interpreted in the mosaics depending upon the historical and social context. For example, during the Fascist period, la Casa del Fascio appears on a floral carpet in the background. A visit to the Museum of Infiorate located in the Piazza della Repubblica showcases all past floral mosaics where you can see their evolution over time.
A must-visit villa in Spello: Villa Fidelia was built in the 16th century on an ancient Roman sanctuary by the Urbani family. After a few incarnations and different owners over time, the original Roman construction remains enhanced by Baroque gardens, a horse track and park.
The original flower children
In 1962, the flower festival introduced a contest for the best Infiorata, which only amped up the competition among the groups of artists and improved the quality of the compositions.
In 2002, the Association of Le Infiorate of Spello was formed. In less than 20 years, this official group of flower artists has grown to 2,000 members. It boasts 50 groups of artists who create 60 floral carpets for the procession, which takes place on the ninth Sunday after Easter. This year’s date is June 6th.
No Small Feat—The intricacies of paving a procession route with floral art
President of the Association, Mirko di Cola gives us a glimpse inside the year-long process from design to execution.
“Each group of infioratori has a master infioratore who, together with his artists, creates the sketch of a floral painting with a religious theme,” says Di Cola. Once designs are complete, the massive flower picking begins—from fields to greenhouses, fresh or dried—the flowers and leaves have alternating blossoming periods, with spring being the most demanding season. The attention to detail is earnest as Di Cola points out that the same species of flower changes colour once dried, and this allows them to achieve certain nuances in the hues that are intended for the design.
“The sketch is usually printed on multiple sheets of paper and attached together with adhesive tape and then glued to the ground on the Saturday before the Corpus Domini. Many groups, on the other hand, prefer to draw the sketch on the ground with chalk,” says Di Cola. Once the sketches are in place, both locals and tourists partake in filling them with the assigned cut (and sometimes recut) flowers under the direction of the master infioratore.
How many flowers does it take to adorn the two-kilometre procession stretch in the town for that Sunday morning? Somewhere in the 15 million range across 65 varieties.
To protect the elaborate floral tapestries from the elements, a temporary canopy is installed over them, and the flowers are held in place with only water.
A look at the elaborate preparations of the Corpus Domini flower festival in Spello. The Infiorata of 2018 is captured in this video from the Pro Loco of the town.
Momentary Masterpiece
“The Infiorata was born as an ephemeral work,” informs Di Cola. “It begins on the Saturday afternoon and the work lasts throughout the night until 9 a.m. on Sunday morning as the procession takes place after the 10 a.m. mass. This means that the wonder of the Infiorata lasts only a few hours,” says Di Cola. The bishop may be the only person who tramples on the floral painting, but he does not have a role in the choice of the winner of the competition. There is a jury of experts, who on the Sunday morning of the Infiorata observe and analyze all the aspects of the flower carpets and choose the winning tapestries in four different categories. Then on Sunday evening, there is a public award ceremony in which all the infioratori participate and the winners are declared.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
The popularity of the flower festival has grown exponentially over the years and, with it, has elevated the sophistication and quality of the designs. So much so, beyond the Corpus Domini Infiorata, the Association is called upon to compose flower carpets for special occasions to honour religious figures including Pope John Paul ll as well as political figures like Italian Republic presidents. Their work has also been commissioned outside of Italy such as in Lourdes and Bethlehem.
Di Cola confirms that the Infiorata tradition last year was cancelled due to the pandemic, and although the flower festival is back on this year, it has a lot of restrictions in place for 2021. However, once the Corpus Domini flower festival in Spello fully resumes, the town welcomes visitors beyond the Umbrian region to attend. “Tourists, and whoever is curious about the event, are allowed to experience the magical atmosphere of the Infiorata,” assures Di Cola. In fact, over the years people arrive from all over Europe and North America to play a part in preparing for the festival that weekend, always under the supervision of the master infioratori, the Association has carved out an important space to participate in this highly spiritual, artistic and unparalleled experience.
This in-depth look at the flowers of Umbria tell a unique story of a region rich with history, nature, art and tradition, yet the wonders certainly don’t end there, and its beauty transforms throughout the seasons.
I await the day I can see, smell, touch and taste all the flavours of Umbria. It may not be this spring, but with vaccines amping up, I have a good feeling about fall.
For more information on the Infiorata, contact the Association: www.infioratespello.it
THE ANCIENT GATES AND WALLS: Porta Venere is one of six gates that encircle the town of Spello. Originally built in the Augustan age, the "Venus Gate" has three arches, and is composed of white travertine with Doric order pilasters. La Torre Properzio, built during the Medieval period, flanks each side and is made of local pink stone.
