Evening star., 1914-05-06
SPECIAL FESTIVAL
FOR ST. G|OVANNA
Little Walled Town of Sigma,
Near Florence, Scene of
Easter Homage.
FRANCISCAN MONASTERY
FIESOLE'S SCENIC CHARM
Second Oldest Esta blishment of the
Order in Italy-Cascina. Chief
Park for Florentines.

S'sH '"ffr~r ~r"ulau'c of I'll" STAR.
FLORENCE. AprI t.:-F1orence has
passed the E.aStertit!e and is settling down
10 business again Nll the activities in
terruptcd by the church ceremouais are
resumed. tho bells are ringing at regular
and frequent intervals and everything is
Lively and bustliug. out at sigma. lit
Tie walled town about seven miles on
the road to Pisa. a unique proceeding
incident to the season is in prcSress-the
fiesta of the Beata Giovanna-and when
this is over the local program of religious
spectacles and significant services will
have been finished. We We're strongly
tempted TO 20 there. bHt on inquiry found
that to appreciate II fully it was n.ces-
ssry To make an ail-day trip. and con
Guided 10 do our sightseeing at shorter
range.
This ceremonial consists of a series of
professions from all the villages around
the town whose CEapels are dependent
upon the pieve or parish church of sigma.
st. GloVdnna was a peasant maiden Of
the thirteenth century. noted from child
hood for her piety and virtues. While
young she vowed herself to religious
life and passed many wears. walled up i'll
r little cell. in meditation and PRAYER.
Her neighbors. generating her as a saint
before her formal recognition as such.
went to her for help and advice. She
performed many miracles of healing. es
pecially on children. She died alone in
her cell in 1907 and il is a local tradi-
ton that her death was announced by
the mysterious ringing of al the church
bells in sigma and the adjacent VILLAGES.
chapel was built to serve as a shrine
and her relics We're kept for use on ex-
traordinary occasions, being taken to
Florence and Prato and elsewhere to stay
public calamities.
Easter Monday is the special festival
Of St Giovanna. when from the various
villages of the district offerings of oil for
the lamps of her shrine are sent in pro-
cessions, borne by small children dressed
as angels, riding richly decked donkeys.
and accompanied by priests acoytes and
tho people in their holiday attire These
offerings are carried one by one into the
church and transferred with solemn rites
to the priest. The entire morning is oc-
cupied thus, as the reception of each
procession takes considera BILE time. Mean
while in the public square a fair is held.
and a great crowd gathers. In the after
noon the relics of St. Giovanna are ex-
posed to the populace.
These local ceremonies fill large place
in the lives of the Tuscan peasants. who
despite the differences between the church
and the state, cling to their religious OBJ
servances tenaciously. The dispossesSion
OF the orders by the present government
during the latter part of the past CEN
tury gave offenSe to great number of
the people. but this feeling is RAISING
and readjustment is in progress
Town 800 Feet Above Florence.
Yesterday afternoon we drove to F'ie-
sole, situated in the hills southeast Of
Florence, where some years ago the pop
ular feeling in favor of monastic broth
erhood occasioned a remarkable mani
festation of public sentiment. Fiesoic lies
IN a saddle between two peaks. on the
northernmost of which. rising much high
than the campanile of the little ca
thedral, a Franciscan monastery was
built centuries ago. The early monkish
founders sought the high places for their
retreats as rule. and in this case they