Saturday 10 December 2011

A festival in my neighbourhood




On Thursday, the feast day marking the Immaculate Conception, I stepped out of my apartment to hear the sound of drums coming from the nearby Piazza Madonna dei Monti. A medieval festival had broken out!


I don't know if it was related to the Immaculate Conception -- celebrated on that very day, December 8th -- or to a particular event in my neighborhood Monti. In any event, the exhibition involved the "Sbandieratori di Musici di Castel Madama." This refers to a small medieval village south of Rome, that held an annual competition within its four districts. Apparently, they now take their exhibitions on the road and came to my neighbourhood.




The morning was sunny and beautiful, and the flag throwing events against the backdrop of the medieval piazza was so colourful and seem completely natural. Bravi!







9 comments:

Trekcapri said...

Hi Sandra, how fun to have this unexpected festival right outside of your apartment. I love the medieval costumes and the flag throwing.

You took some wonderful photos. Thanks so much for sharing. Have a great weekend.

menehune said...

How FUN is that! Hope you are not still wonderin' why you made this jaunt....enjoy...I am enjoying your posts.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

I love that you can be excited about every little thing...
and there are so many little things :-)

Karin H said...

Hey Sandra! What a great experience! All cultures have "street festivals," however in Alberta it usually involves some article of camo and a Dodge truck and in Italy, flags and men in tights!

Anonymous said...

Not that you need convinceing, but here is one of the reasons that your move is a good choice.

TourMama Judy said...

Sandra - I think they were really celebrating your arrival in Rome!

How lucky to have this in your neighborhood. Thanks for sharing it with us -- look forward to more.

Love your photos from the Arch at the Forum, too.

Annie said...

What fun! I love their costumes!

sandrac said...

Thanks, Kathy! It helped that I could get very close to the action and get some decent photos.

Sadly, menehune, I'll always be plagued with some self-doubts....but I'm trying to keep them under control.

Sandi, I really am quite easy to please, especially when I'm still in the honeymoon glow of my new home (hope it lasts!)

Hi Karin -- yes, it's sad to think that in Alberta you would not ever see a man voluntarily in tights. Or throwing a flag (a calf or even a pie, perhaps; but never flag-throwing!)

Yvonne, I was thinking the same thing!

Judy, wouldn't that be nice to imagine? I am really enjoying my new neighbourhood and the incredible weather makes it even easier to enjoy everything.

Annie, aren't they lively?

Anonymous said...

I love those days when you're wandering about in a Italian city and you hear the sounds of beating drums. If I can figure out where theya re coming from I always make a dash towards them. Generally I'm rewarded with sights like this.