As you may have learned from reading posts earlier this week, it’s Festa dei Noantri here in Trastevere, a week in which the Trasteverini celebrate the many ways in which they are unique in all of Rome.
Anyone who has spent some serious time in Trastevere could probably list 100 things that make this neighborhood a bit different (or maybe wackier) than other Roman hoods, but the one that’s being advertised this week is the special blessing of La Madonna Fiumarola.
If you’re thinking that the blessing of some Madonna or another is no big deal in a city as jam-packed with Virgins as is Rome, it’s time to think again. The photos of the procession taken by Susan Sanders, clearly demonstrate the respect and solemnity granted to the occasion.
Nonne (or grandmothers) assume key viewing positions well in advance of the procession, cooling themselves with folding fans as they body check anyone who might dare to intrude upon their territory. Rome’s mounted police lead the procession, clearing the streets of unsuspecting tourists and evening grocery shoppers, while the military band serenades onlookers and provides a snappy beat for the Virgin’s promenade. This year, the mayor even showed up (see above, he’s the one wearing the tricolor sash).
Of course, it’s the young men of Trastevere who really shoulder the burden of the event, carrying the Madonna through the streets. The statue, in combination with the litter on which it is carried, weighs hundreds of pounds, making their task an extraordinarily strenuous one.
At the ring of a bell, the white-clad porters hoist the Madonna to their shoulders, but they can only walk about 20-30 yards before having to return her to terra firma. The next lift is taken on by a team that’s had a bit of a breather. It’s hard work, but it insures the safety and the prosperity of the neighborhood for the course of the coming year.
For more photos of this event, as well as others by Susan Sanders, visit her Rome With A View photo blog.
For more on the 2008 procession, click here and here.
For the 2007 procession and a more detailed explanation of the history of the Madonna Fiumarola, click here. And for the 2007 event finale, in which the Virgin took a trip down the Tiber River, click here.
