Sommo – colonia is in festa today as the 16th of November is the Festa of San Frediano – their patron saint. There is a phrase used in the area which says ” San Frediano – la neve al monte e al piano” meaning that snow generally falls on the area during the third week in November but no sign of snow in Barga today.
In fact it was a perfect windless, sunny, autumn day with believe it or not a butterfly floating round the outside of the church up at Sommocolonia (check image 9) but yes if you did look closely enough you can see a light dusting of snow on the mountain behind the village. The first snow of the year had arrived.The air was crystal clear and sharp – that is under the fires started for the traditional chestnut roasting in the streets to celebrate the San Frediano Festa
How Sommocolonia ended up with an Irish patron saint is something of a mystery as Saint Fridianus (Italian: San Frediano ) was apparently a prince of Ireland who became a hermit on Mount Pisano after going on pilgrimage to Rome.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Remarkable for sanctity and miracles was St. Fridianus (560-88), son of Ultonius, King of Ireland, or perhaps of a king of Ulster (Ultonia), of whom in his “Dialogues” (III, 10) St. Gregory the Great relates a miracle.”
He was appointed bishop of Lucca by the pope. During his episcopate, Lucca was attacked by the Lombards. He may have founded a group of eremetical canon priests; these canons merged with the Canons Regular of the Lateran in 1507. – source Wikipedia