Celebrations for St Christopher the Patron Saint of Barga which started today with the “San Cristoforo d’oro” awards ceremony, continued this evening to its climax with a long torchlight procession through the streets of Barga up to the Duomo.
Thousands of people lining the streets of Barga watched what was probably the largest San Cristoforo Procession ever seen in the city, this year led by Mons. Vasco Bertelli the Bishop of Volterra.
The banners and mayors of most of the comunes in Garfaganana and Mediavalle were in the procession along with representatives from Pisa and Florence.
Many more images from tonight’s procession can be seen in the photo – album
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V252uvmN6Qc
I saw the procession many years ago when it was much simpler and less bombastic. This time it was a bit like going to Disneyland. All these crossbow men and military theme. Somebody local said that few of them were actually from Barga. Pity.
hmm , how about some background information on this event ? It is true that there were no local people carrying arms in the procession but there is a reason for the presence of the sword and crossbow carrying men. Barga has had a long history with Florence going back to the Medici period. Most Barghigiani are proud of their Florentine past and are pleased to see their banners coming into the city. At the same time there is a strange relationship with some of the other city/states that still lingers on from medieval times in the modern Barghigiani mind set. For instance – Barga is actually in the diocese of Pisa …. the Bishop is the Bishop of Pisa but there is still to this day a saying in Barga which says “better a death in the house than a Pisano at the door” – a direct throwback to medieval times when Barga was under siege from the armies of Lucca and Pisa. The Pisan banners (and armed soldiers in costume) are welcomed in to Barga, I repeat, Barga is in the diocese of Pisa but at this year’s event I did hear murmurings of discontent in the crowd at the main gate into Barga just at the Pisan banner dipped to pass through the gate. The politician wearing the sash of the Mayor of Pisa was talking on his cell phone as he entered the gate and this was seen almost as a sign of disrespect by some of the people in the crowd as he was not seen to be showing the correct level of importance to the historical event of a Pisano entering into the castle. One other interesting difference this year was the fact that the masses ranks of weapon bearing soldiers in costume were not allowed into the Duomo as in other years and instead were lined up outside the Cathedral until the service was over.