The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-04-20
"SCOPpIO DEL CARRO."
THE QUAINT EASTER
CEREMONY OF FLORENCE
Explosion of a Car Takes Place In Front of the Great Cathe-
dra-ltaIy a Land of Elaborate and Interesting Easter
0bservances-May Superstitious Beliefs Cherished
In Connection With the Car Ceremony.

N'>NA -
IN tants try to induce them to maxi
their first attempts to walk while tn,
Of explosion is in progress, believing tina
m thereby the little ones steps will b,
he strengthened.
To the foreign visitor. and there arr
many of high rank. sometimes, who
come to see the curious spectacle
queen Victoria on one occasion wit
messed 1t from the Loggia del Bigallo
II special point of view for the highly
= prtvileged-there is in the crowd that
gathers as much of interest as in the
ceremony. From all the neighboring
= villages, from other cities and ever
from he more distant re-
= glons the people flock. all wearing
; their characteristic and often highly
: varleSated customes, packing the square
III q solid mass, gay with the brightest
color, representative of all the races
and classes that make up the popula-
non or this part of the country, all pa
! uentIy waiting for the m when
the Changing bells shall the
coming of the love and eagerly watch
ms to see whether the omens are pro-
> pltlouS for tn year to come.
3 After the fireworks on the car have
. been partially exploded the car is
drawn to the corner of the street 'front.'
r ing the Pazzi palace, where, pursuant
TO an ancient custom, the remainder are
exploded and the car then returned to
Its resting place until it shall again be
required for the next Easter cere-
mony.
The present car, several of its prede-
%cessors having become a prey to the
flames, was built in 1922, to the order
of Cossimus Aloisi Pazzi. as an inscrip-
ton 1t bears states. Another informs
us that Giovanni Cossimo de Pazzi had
1t restored in the 18th century at a cost
of l31 scudi. Other inscriptions indi-
cate work done on it at various times
by different artisans, who. as a reward
tor their work, are granted the privi-
lege of ~inscribing their name. on it, in
terror panels.
h connection of the Pazzi family
with the car and with the ceremonies
attending the Easter celebration is part
OF the history of Florence. The family
originally were prominent among the
merchant princes of the city when it
was one Of the great mercantile cen
tiers OF Europe. A member of the fam
lily VINO was, On a crusade to the Holy
Land spent Easter in Jerusalem, and,
being a man of great physical strength,
was able to force his way to the front
at the lighting of the holy fire in the
s~epulchre. and afterward to bear the
taper he had lighted safely out of the
crush.
This according to the story, he bore
ilghted to Florence, riding backward on
ms morse a great part of the distance,
- besI' " SuiSlu tne precious tame
from the wind. AT one point the devil
himself made an attempt to extinguish
II, but was successfully repuised by the
doughty knight. He brought his light
safely to Florence and presented 1t to
the oapt1stery, claiming as a right, in
recompense, the privilege each year of
being the first to take a light from the
sacred fire for the shrine at his house
corner.
The present name of the family is
due to his knights ride from the Holy
Land. People seeing the crusader APP
p!oacn backward on his horse greeted
MN as "pazzo" (mad), and Pazzi the
fanlly a remained ave since.
Another scion of the family was also
prominently Identified with the present
annual Easter ceremony of kindling the
holy fire in the city. He was a famous
warrior and of great personal owe
and had of the Tuscan con-
tingent in the crusade of loss. At the
siege of Jerusalem he was the first 20
plant the banner of the cross on the
battlements of the holy city. In recog-
milton of his feat he received from the
leader OF the crusade. Godfrey de Bouil-
lon, a new coat Of arms, colnmemora-
tive Of the act, and three pieces of flint
from the holy sepulchre.
On returning to his native city he
was received with great honor and pre-
sented the three flints-smalI, almond
shaped stones-to the signori Of the
city, who kept them carefully and
eventually deposited them in the bap-
tistery, with the order that they be
used at every Easter celebration in
Rndling the sacred fire. Preserved in a
crimson velvet bag, heavily brocaded
with gold, they are still to be seen at
the old church.
While the car is unqnestioned a very
ancient institution in Florence, there is
no authentic record of it's origin, nor is
n reason given in the city's records
for It's use in connection with the Easter
Saturday ceremony. That it was in
existence prior to 147S is proved by the
fact that one of the recorded penalties
imposed on the Pazzi for their revolt
and conspiracy against the Medici that
year was the forfeiture of all their dig
mites n privileges, that of furnishing
the car for the Holy Saturday cere-
monies being expressly enumerated.
This only vas conferred on the Guild
of Foreign Wool Merchants, by whom
1T was for a time undertaken. When a
few years later the Pazzi were par
doned n restored to all their former
disnities and pr~erogatives that Of fur
nishing the car and having the last
fireworks exploded in front of their
palace was included among the rest,
~ until 1863 they continued to see to
the provision and maintenance of the
quaint vehicle.
Ii lAdl year., however,, the nead OF the
house expressed a desire to r%elinquish
the honor n the responsibility. The
municipal authorities We're unwilling
that the ancient should be
discontinued for fear of provoking dis
satisfaction mons the people who had
become accustomed to regard the fir
ing Of h car as part Of the Easter
celebration and as a basis for their
auguries for the coming year. The city
consequently determined to continue
the custom and in 1864 the Pazzi family
transferred to the municipal authorities
the a n sufficient securities to fur
nish an income of 200 lire per. annum
to defray the expenses Of the annual
explosion.
While the people Of our times MAJ
feel inclined to belittle some of the
peculiar old ceremonies connected with
religious celebrations that are per-