The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-04-20
"SCOPPIO DEL CARRO.r
THE QUAINT EASTER
CEREMONY OF FLORENCE
Explosion of Car Takes Place In Front OF the Great Cattle
draI-Itay Land of Elaborate and Interesting Easter
Observances- SuperStitiouS Beliefs Cherished
Il, Connection With the Car Ceremony.

explosion is in progress, believing thai
thereby the little ones steps will b,
strengthened.
| To the foreign visitor. and there ar,
many OF high rank, sometimes, whc
come to see the curious spectacle
messed IL from the Loggia del Bigallo
q special point Of view for the highly
privileged-there is in the crowd that
gathers as much Of interest as In the
ceremony. From all the neighboring
villages, from other cities and even
from the more distant mountain re-
gions the people flock, all wearing
variegated customes, packing the square
In a solid mass, gay with the brightest
color, representative OF all the races
and classes that make up the popula.
ton Of this part Of the country, all pa.
tiently waiting for the moment when
the changing bells shall announce the
coming Of the dove and eagerly watch.
ing to see whether the omens are pro.
pitious for thc year to come.
| After the fireworks on the car hav,
been partially exploded the car 1,
drawn to the corner Of the street front.
ing the Pazzi palace, where, pursuant
| to an ancient custom, the remainder are
exploded and the car then returned IA
its resting place until II shall again b.
required for tho next Easter cere.
mony.
The present car, several Of it's prede.
cessors having become q prey to tn,
flames, was built in 1922, to the order
OF Cossimus Aloisi Pazzi, as an inscrip.
ton It bears states. Another informs
us that Giovanni Cossimo de PaZzi had
It restored In the 18th century at a cos
Of 131 scudi. Other inscriptions indi.
cate work done on 1t at various time,
by different artisans, who, as q rewart
for their work, are granted the priv.
lege Of inscribing their name on IT. in.
terror panels.
The connection of the Pazzi family
with the car and with the ceremonies
attending the Easter celebration is par
of the history Of Florence. The family
originally wereeprominent among the
merchant princes of the cityNwhen Il
was one of the great mercantile cen.
ters Of Europe. A member Of the fam.
lily who was on a crusade to the Holy
Land spent Easter in Jerusalem, and
being q man OF great physical strength
was able to force his way to the front
at the lighting OF the holy fire in the
sepulchre. and afterward to bear the
taper he had lighted safely out of the
crush.
This according to the story, he. bore
lighted to Florence, riding backward on
his horse u great part OF the distance
the better to shield the precious flame
from the wind. At one point the devil
himself made an attempt to extinguish
II, but WAS successfully repulsed by the
doughty knight. He brought his light
safely to Florence and presented 1t To
the baptistery, claiming as a right, in
recompense, the privilege each year Of
being the first TO take a hight 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 ap.
proach backward on his horse greeted
him as "pazzo" (nad), and PazZi the
family had remained ever 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 prowess,
and had command Of the Tuscan con-
| tingent in the crusade Of 1888. At the
siege Of Jerusalem he was the first 10
plant the banner Of the cross on the
battlenents OF the holy city. In recog-
milton of his feat he received from the
leader Of the crusade, Godfrey de Boui-
lon, a new coat Of arms, commemora-
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-
| scented the three flints-small, 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
kindling 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 carols unquestioned q very
ancient institution in Florence there Is
no authentic record Of its origin, nor Is
any reason given in the city's records
for It's use in connection with the Easter
Saturday ceremony. That 1t WASP 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 and privileges, that Of furnishing
the car for the Holy Saturday cere-
monies being expressly enumerated.
This only was 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 and restored to all their former
dignities and prerogatives that Of fur
niShing the car and having the last
fireworks exploded in front of their
palace was included among the rest,
and until 1868 they continued to see to
the provision and maintenance Of the
quaint vehicle.
In that year, however. the head of the
house expressed a desire to relinquish
the honor and the responsibility. The
municipal authorities were unwilling
that the ancient ceremony should be
discontinued for fear of provoking dis
satisfaction among the people who had
become accustomed to regard the fir
ing OF the 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 car and 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 may
feel inclined to belittle some of the
peculiar old ceremonies connected with
religious celebrations that are per-
performed In he cities OF the old world,
there Is no question as to the influence
or their symbolism on the less matter
of-fact people Of those countries. To
them, religion associated with outward
forms, symbols and ceremonies gains
greatly in power and influence. With