We are going to be in Florence for the Festa della Rificolona the first week of Sept. Which according to this site children's procession with lanterns, street performances, parade. I was just curious what it was like?
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Florence
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We have several times - it's great. Usually there is a band that leads the parade of people from Piazza Santa Croce to Piazza Santissima Annunziata (I say usually since the Italians love to change things, start them late, etc.). In the piazza there are vendors with food, etc. and there is also a religious component and speech making, etc.
Anyway, everyone follows the band, with their lanterns through town, and lots of kids have pea shooters and they shoot at your lanterns, and then at the end you burn them (sounds crazy but it is all very orderly and fun). We have notes and photos about it:
Festa della Rificolona
Rificolona photos
Last year I made a very sturdy lantern of the Palazzo Vecchio - it was cool seeing all the kids try to shoot my candles out of that!