Santa Fiora (Grosseto). The Contrada of Santa Fiora, with the patronage of the Municipality of Santa Fiora, organizes, Saturday 26 August, the commemoration of the flight of the goat, with an entire day dedicated to popular team games for adults and children, up to the appointment with the re-enactment of this pagan rite using a puppet. And finally, at 21, under the door, the trump tournament.
Flight of the goat
The flight of the goat was a good luck ritual of pagan origin that was practiced in Santa Fiora up to a hundred years ago, on the day of San Nicola, or 11 September, close to the chestnut harvest. It consisted of throwing a live goat from the arch of the Terziere del Castello towards the church of Sant’Agostino. If the goat died immediately, banging, it was a reassuring sign of prosperity: the year would have gone well with a good harvest of chestnuts. If, on the contrary, the goat did not die, the omen was negative and nothing good could be expected from the harvest.
“The Contrada of Santa Fiora has long been involved in the recovery and enhancement of ancient popular traditions in order to make them known and pass them on to the new generations to keep alive an important component of local culture – says the president Antonio Menichetti –. The re-enactment of this ancient ritual of the flight of the goat has been recovered for some years. Obviously, it will not be a real animal to be launched as it happened in the past, but a puppet goat. This year we wanted to enrich the day by giving space to many other popular team games for all ages.”
The program of popular games
The program includes, at 4.30 pm, in Piazza Garibaldi the roll of panforte, marbles, caps and hemp. In XII June square arm wrestling; in Olm squareor morra and accostino; in San Michele square race pasta, apple, apple boyfriends; in archpriest square egg run; in curved Carolina street watermelon race; in Sant’Agostino square tug of war, totara, pit; in Suffrage Square archery for children. At 19.30 re-enactment of the flight of the goat; at 21, under the door, trump tournament.
“It will be a day of fun and socialization for adults and children – he comments Blue Radicchiodeputy mayor and councilor for tourism of Santa Fiora -, but also an attraction for tourists, who will be able to discover the playful side of the inhabitants of Santa Fiora. I thank the Contrada for this important initiative, which I am sure will receive much appreciation and participation”.
2023-08-24 14:28:00
#reenactment #flight #goat #Santa #Fiora
