The ancient art of rolling decorated eggs down an incline was revitalised and re-enacted this afternoon in Barga Giardino as part of the festivities to celebrate the Quarantore di Barga. The event was organised by the Comune of Barga , the association “per B.A.R.G.A.”, the Association “la Befana” and the Polisportiva Valdilago. The whole area known as Giardino comprising the two bridges, Largo Roma and Via Mordini were decorated and turned into the “Giardino delle Degustazioni” where local products such as home baked cakes, salami, cheeses and biroldo were all offered to the public with any money offered going to charity.
The pre-Christian Saxons had a spring goddess Eostre, whose feast was held on the Vernal Equinox, around 21 March. Her animal was the spring hare, and the rebirth of the land in spring was symbolised by the egg. Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities. Children traditionally rolled eggs down hillsides at Easter and it is thought that this may have become symbolic of the rolling away of the rock from Jesus Christ’s tomb before his resurrection -- source Wikipedia
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