The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-06-10
THE FLIGHT OF THE DOVE,
A Curious Ceremony Observed rr Gem
turtles in Florence.

tuFles IN Florence.
In the May st. Nicholas there is an
article entitled In Old Florence
written by Mrs. Rebecca Harding Da-
v:s. One Of the quaint customs Mrs.
Davis describes is the following: a
crusader from Florence saw the light
in the Holy SepulChre, and vowed that
he woald carry the sacred flame home
to his W city. Three times he set
Off with the torch. The wild beasts
fought him, and the storms beat upon
him, and the winds blew against him.
Three times it was put out. and he
had to u back. At last he hid it
in his bosom, and rode backward on
his horse and SO protected it. The
people thought he was mad seeing the
ridiculous figure facing the horses
tail, and called out, "PazZo, pazzo:"
Cool, foOl!) But he did not care.
He carried the holy light home to the
high altar Of the Duomo, and there it
still burns today. His family have
been known ever since as the Pazzi.'
That's a good story" said Tom after
a pause. "A sort of allegory, l sup
pose. But there's no dove in it, "Oh,
the dove? Well, every year on Holy
Saturday a dove, typical of the Holy
Spirit, flies with a spark Of sacred fire
from the high altar of the Duomo to
the Baptistery. The flame is then
given to the PaZZi family, who carry
it to their own little church. There is
an old superstition, which many OF
the %contadini or peasants still believe,
that if the light goes out in it's pas
sage the crops will fail, SO they crowd
into the city from all Tuscany to pray
for the dove while it is on it's way"
Tom heard that evening on all sides
SO much talk of Lo Scoppio del Caro-
(the flight of the dove) that he felt
it was high time to begin his lessons.
He would give these people some
good, sound commcn sense tomorrow!
But ten o'clock the next morning
found him with Hugo struggling mad
ly through the masses of the people in
the plaza up the steps Of the great
cathedral. When the great cathedral
was full the vast crowd ebbed and
flowed outside against the walls, be-
meath the Campanile, the great bell
tower, which shot up into the blue
heaven like an airy shaft of carved
ivory and gems, around the gigantic
figures of the builders of the Duomo,
who for centuries have sat bordering,
gazing at the work they left on the
earth. Il never saw so great a crowd
SO silent and grave said Tom. This
is not a show" Hugo replied. 1T is
a religious ceremony. 1t has a solemn
and sacred meaning to these people,
These rude tourists should be put out
OF the church, muttered Tom. frown-
ing at a group Of people who were
talking and laughing. mo natter"
whispered Hugo. Watch now" The
music and chanting suddenly stopped.
The people rose from their knees and
stood gazing breathlessly up into the
dome of the cathedral, in which the
red sunset lights were fading into
darkness. On the altar, high in the
shadow, appeared a Pickering spark. It
wavered, frightened, almost died cut.
Then a white dove, scattering showers
Of sparks, darted from the altar,
crossed the Duomo high over the up
turned faces, and passed through the
open doors across the square to the
church of San Giovanni. 1T is there
safely" gasped Hugo. eff it only
r0moc honE u,jth0,t uDirr c,% thu
crops are sure for this year," The
Duomo with it's multitudes waited in
silence. The peasants stood with
strained eyes fixed on the door. Tom
held his breath. There was a flash of
light at the door, again a shower Of
sparks overhead, and the dove 1ut-
tered back to the altar. With a great
sigh of relief the entire crowd Of peo-
pie rushed to the doors. When the
boys reached the square Hugo dragged
Tom up on to the base of Rrunell-
eschi's statue. You can look over
the heads of the people here" he said.
D you see that great car, hung with
flowers, with a tower in the middle?
That is a caroccio, an ancient Etrus-
can war chariot. It, and the six white
oxen you see without a spot or stain,
belong to the Pazzi. Neither car nor
oxen are used throughout the year, ex-
cept today, to carry the sacred light
from the altar to the private chapel
Of the family. All! they have started.
They are coming" The snow white,
stately animals marched slowly past,
each led by a man in the Pazzi uv-
cries.