San Rocco in Barga is the time of year when you take your knives and scissors down to Umberto the Arrotino – the knife sharpener. It is also the right time in the season to buy onions and garlic for the winter. Once again just like yesterday, the air is filled with the sound of bells – this time coming from the San Rocco church in Barga Giardino (3D moving image here) calling in the faithful. Outside of the church the day seems more to do with shopping. The market stretches right through the Giardino area making progress slow for traffic and walkers, shoppers alike and then once the evening comes the road is totally blocked off, tables are set out and a huge mat laid down all ready for the dancers. It’s liscio time – this year with a new group – the Danilele Amoroso Orchestra from Empoli.
Spotted in the crowd this evening was Paolo Nutini who signed a few autographs for some of his waiting fans before relaxing with his girlfriend outside of Onesti’s bar.
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‘Ferragosto’ is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15. Originally, it was related to a celebration of the middle of the summer and the end of the hard labour in the fields. In time, Roman Catholicism adopted this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the real physical elevation of her sinless soul and incorrupt body into Heaven. Before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence, however, this holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honour the gods—in particular Diana—and the cycle of fertility and ripening. In fact, the present Italian name of the holiday derives from its original Latin name, Feriae Augusti (”Festivals [Holidays] of the Emperor Augustus”) – source wikipedia