From North to South, Italy celebrates the amazing Infiorata festivals. The word "infiorata" means "decorated with flowers." Flower artists prepare their designs months in advance. They create simple geometric pictures, flawless tapestries, and even religious masterpieces using dried and fresh flower petals as well as other organic materials, like beans and wood cuttings. In order to create a flower carpet, they sketch the design with chalk on the pavement and then fill it with thousands of colorful petals. To highlight flower outlines, soil or coffee grounds are typically used.
Infiorata Dates
Infiorata festivals are usually celebrated in late May or early June around the Corpus Domini feast, a solemnity of Jesus' body and blood. This year it falls on May 30th. The best ceremonies can be observed in Noto (Sicily), Genzano (Lazio), and Spello (Umbria). The dates differ not only between years but also across locations.
Infiorata Flower Festival in Noto, Sicily (May 18-21, 2024)
One of the most famous infiorata in Italy is held in Noto, Sicily. Noto flower festival usually falls on the third weekend of May. The installation of the carpet takes place on May 17th, but the beautiful exhibit will be open to visitors from May 18th. Students of the Noto Art Institute participate in creating the flower display, which stretches all along Via Corrado Nicolaci Street.
This year, the community decided to pay tribute to Giacomo Puccini, a remarkable Italian composer and author of some of the greatest Italian operas. The display opens at 9 am and requires a ticket, which costs €3,50.
Infiorata Flower Festival in Spello (June 1-2, 2024)
Spello, a small town in Umbria, is also known for colorful displays on Corpus Domini. When Infiorata Spello comes to the town, flowers cover streets throughout the downtown where the procession carrying the Blessed Sacrament is supposed to pass. The celebrations normally span almost a week, starting from May 25, and feature guided tours, floral workshops, bonsai exhibition and photo contest. The creation of the Infiorata display itself begins on June 1st and ends on June 2nd at 9 am, stretching through the historical center of Spello.
Infiorata Flower Festival in Genzano di Roma (June 13-17, 2024)
Another famous infiorata destination is Genzano di Roma. The flower carpet tradition in Genzano dates back to 1778 when it was held on the Sunday of Corpus Domini. The flower mosaic covers about half an acre (2,000 sq m) of Via Italo Belardi Street. Almost 500,000 flowers and seeds are used here to create colorful works of art. This year pays tribute to Danilo Dolci, one of the leading figures in non-violence movements. The first two days of the festivities consist of press conferences, draft sessions of the flower display, and sketch exhibitions at Casa Comunale, Sala Belvedere.
The opening ceremony of the Infiorata Flower Carpet will take place at 6 pm on June 15th, followed by the markets, fashion show, and live music. A beautiful fireworks spectacle unfolds at 10 pm on June 16th and can be seen from Piazza Tommaso Frasconi. The festivities end at 7 pm on June 17th. And the best thing is that the event is completely free to attend.
Origins of the Festival
The tradition of making flower carpets dates back in Italy to June 1625, when Benedetto Drei, head florist at the Vatican, used flowers to decorate a basilica with the mosaic on the day of Saints Peter and Paul. The festival is widely celebrated all throughout the country, but especially in the central region.
