The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-10
THE SAN cosrANzo FEAST.


| Crouching like lien at the entrance to
| the Bay of Naples. the glorious isle OF
Capri looks down as II somewhat dis.
-dainful of the inferior charms of its
| sateilines, Ischia and Procida pretty
| tough those two insular sentinels also
are. Capri is one OF those choice NOR
| sells OF territory which are delightful
| all the year round. but IL is at its very
| best in May. And il is the middle of
| this month which witnesses the extraordi-
| nary medley of ceremonial, solemnity
| and riotous frivolity characteristic OF
the most popular Of nine great annual
festivals. Capri is an unrivalled home,
of the fiesta. The people dance the
| tarantella all the year. at all times of
every day I have walked I'D to the.
| Salto Tiberio and to the summit OF
Monte Solaro preceded by juvenile ANA
lteur tarantella dancers ali along the
route Every little dark-eyed fanciuIlo-
seems expert on the light fantastic toe.
| But the special exhibits of skill in the
| Terpsichoresn art are reserved for the
| festival seasons.
When the great fiesta di San Costanzo
comes~round on May II the islanders are
! ready for a wild carnival. The wonderful
| celebration lasts for three days. COM
mencing on the evening Of May Is. There
is nothing at all like it in all the rest of
| Italy. The sandwiching of the most SOL
emn and impressive professionals,
| masses, and performances of sacred, or
( chestraI, and choral music between the
| gayest extravaganZas strikes the visitor
| as a proof of the unlimited versatility
| of the happy Capriotes. They are sim
| pie, joyous. and at the same time pro-
| foundly superstitious race. And there are
| more of them than the thousands of tour
/ lists who merely touch AT the little Ma
| rina for three hours, TO visit the superb
'Grotta Aura are apt 10 think On
| the little plateau Of Anacapri, perched
| on the highest crags of the mountain
| islet, dwell 1000 people, hidden from the
| lower world in their vineclad cottages,
with no way down from the height ex
| cepting by the road of two miles. most
| of which was blasted out of the perpen-
dicular cliffs against whose feet the bill
| lows dash. The famous old rock-stairs
are superseded by this splendid bit OF
modern engineering.
Anacapri stays for the most part up at
| home. Capri, the quaint little capital Of
| the island, is the head-center of the great
! festivities of it's own favorite patron
| saint. San CostanZo, or st. Constantlus,
| who had the blood of emperors in his
veins. was a seventh century, bishop of
| Constantinople, who managed in some
way to give umbrage to the secular pow
ers. He was flung into the Bosphorus in
strong wooden cask. AS he was pre-
destined to work wonderful miracles, even
| by his bones after his death, he. was
| himself the subject of supernatural pre-
| servation. for he was tossed up on the
| Marina of Capri and when released was
| found to be safe and sound, needing
only TO be well dried after his unparal-
| Ieled voyage. That is the legend con-
corning the man of whom the only relics
are fragment of spine and Capriote
credulity. these precious fragments have
suniced for marvels of thaumatursy. for
they are reputed to have secured immd-
nifty from an invasion of the Saracens,
the saint stirring up a fearful tempest
against them and many crippfes are de-
clared to have been cured after venerat-
ing the infinitesimal remains and paying
homage to the image of San CostanZo in
his little church.
MAGNIFICENT sunsets in the month of
May set the Bay of Naples glowing with
opalescent reflections and illumine the
crags above the little city of Capri in
preparation for the grotesque pyrotechnic
display which inaugurates the fiesta. The
quaint little Cathedral of Capri is lit up
with immense numbers of tapers, and
the worshipers at vespers hurry out as
. soon as the service is over, after bow
ing before the image of the saint. wnich
has during the day, been brought from
his own church for the occasion. In the
streets every house IS decorated with
scores of colored lamps, and the lurld
| sunset hardly subsidies in shadows be-
| fore the illumination of the town Is COM
plete.
The most singular item in the fireworks
| display of the evening is the burning or
an effigy of the saint in the Piazza
There seems to be something inexplicably
| inconsistent in treating the padrone santo
| as if he were some Guy Fawkes or Judas
Iscariot: but the mirthful Capriotes are
not logical set and expect the saint TO
supply them with the maximum OF fun
| as well as sanctity. The effigy is nileo
with fireworks and is mounted on mini
allure turret of squibs. The effect of the
cremation is indescribably comical. The
| burning torso executes a sort OF crude
tarantella on its own account as II eN-
plodes first i'm one part of its cracker
packed frame and then in anothec. TO
the delight of the populace, the mock pre-
| late executes the most extraordinary an
tics. while he spouts forth flame IN all
directions on the crowd increasing the
hilarious connection every moment, until,
with a terrible final outburst, the whole
remaining fabric is hurled up as though
a miniature volcano had sprung up in
| the midst of the Piazza.
The city Orchestra-for little Capri is
proud of its own town band-has already
been in evidence in the cathedral, but Il
now gives the signal for all the lively
movements of the evening. All round the
/ Piazza and in the few little streets that
| lead out Of il TO the mountain sides. are
booths piled with toys. confectiOns, pic
lures and images Of the saint, and vari-
Gus refreshments The pretty contadine-
those dark -Mauresque looking peas
ant girls of the mountain vineyards who
are the best tara ntella dancers-are treat
ed by their inamoratOs 10 the draughts OF
the delicious gazzoza beverages. beloved
alike by the Ueapoiitans and the Capri
otes. such IS limonata. aranctata- sor-
betto. or granita.
The great dSy Of the fiesta Is announced
! to the citizens and the visitors, many OF
whom resort IL Capri from Sorrento. Sa-
| lerno Amalfi. RavelIo. Casteiiamare. and
Naples for the occasion. by the ear
! splitting crashes OF bombas early IN the
bright morning As many people as can
| crowd into the Cathedral attend the cele
bratiop OF mass The Canriotes cannot
be accused OF ignoring the devotional
part OF the proceedings They listen pa
tiently to long and eulogistic accounts
of the virtues OF san COstanzO The air
IS heavy with the sncet all through Nav.
/ In esrIvkauturnn il will TEEN With deli
cious fruit. but now its villas and cot
( tages and trattorie are embowered in
! eGlorescence To the fragrance of the
flowers Is added the sickiier odor of IN
cense ign the tempio nagg1ore- But sud
denly there is a tremendous crash Hun
dre,Is of fireworks have been sent OF 81
( simultaneously 81 fhe Piazza. and the bells
I I'm thu old campanile peal together az the
same moment to signify 20 the crowd ~
Z people who cannot find room within that
the Archbishop of Sorrento mas elevated
+ the Host.