Italy 2012: The Town of Spello and the Infiorata

Today I want to talk about one of the most beautiful towns I've visited in Italy.  My camera was poised at every stop in Spello.  A walled, hillside town with an ancient Roman history, Spello holds a Festival of Flowers (L'Infiorata) each June, coinciding with the religious feast of Corpus Domini.  We happened to visit on the Saturday that residents were engaged in preparing for the next day's spectacle of flower art.  It appeared that everyone also competed to have the best flower decorations on their doorsteps.  It made for stunning photography at every stop.

This is the front gate into the ancient walled portion of the town.

Charming narrow streets and walkways with beautiful old stonework and arches greeted us inside the gates.

The other flower that was in bloom all over Italy is the Yellow Broomflower.  It was used liberally in floral arrangements around the town.

I'd say this was the most heavily flowered town I've seen.



Here's my husband, lost in a sea of flowers.

These residents left their garden gate open, inviting visitors to step in and have a look.



Even this kitty had a floral mat to lie on.

Love these blue chairs!

There were many beautiful side lanes to wonder down, that offered stunning vistas of the countryside.



There was a feeling of "busyness" around the town, as many took part in preparing flowers for the overnight creation of art.  These three girls let me take their picture while they dismantled flowers and sold lavender sachets.

These two women were also engaged in taking flowers apart.  They offered small bundles of flowers for a donation.



Tents were erected around town in areas where flower art was being created.  Here you can see an elaborate pattern on paper.

On Sunday morning the town filled with visitors who had come to see the flower art.  Here are a few examples.  A good percentage of the art was religious in nature, but not all.

These three nuns posed for a picture.

The tradition of flower festivals runs deep in Italy.  I found flower decorations on sidewalks in other villages as well.  This small shrine and sidewalk were decorated at Monte Castella di Vibeo

There were flower petals on the streets in Trevi.  In fact, the storm grates were filled with them.  They must have had a flower festival of sorts on the Festival of Corpus Domini as well.