Paniere in Festa

Returning on April 6 and 7 in Santa Maria a Monte, Pisa, is Paniere in Festa, the event dedicated to Blessed Diana Giuntini, patron saint of the community, bringing citizens and visitors together each year amid customs, history and festive moments in the medieval village.

The heart of the event is the traditional Processione delle Paniere, a parade re-enacting the transfer of the body of Blessed Diana. 
The procession starts from a chapel at the foot of the hill then slowly ascends to the Collegiate Church through the historic town center within the ancient walls surrounding the medieval castle. 
For the occasion, the entire community focuses on its patron saint. The various districts of the town participate in the celebration by offering the saint a large basket filled with flowers—the paniere—carried on the head of a dame accompanied by a knight. 
The paniere thus form a long and striking carpet of flowers that accompanies the procession to the village church.

From early afternoon, the historic center comes alive with a rich program of initiatives for all ages. 
From 3:00 pm, the village streets will host painting and photography exhibitions, street performances, music and theatrical entertainment. 
Dedicated children’s events with wooden games, stilt walkers, soap bubbles and puppet shows are also planned.

Highlights of the day include theatricalized guided tours of the underground city, which take visitors on a discovery of the hidden environments and oldest stories of the village.

During the event, it will also be possible to take advantage of special openings to visit some of the main cultural sites in the historic center: La Rocca Archaeological Area with the adjoining Civic Museum dedicated to the Blessed Diana, the Carducci House Museum where the poet’s family lived between 1856 and 1858, and the Clock Tower, an ancient defensive structure of the medieval castle from where you can savor an expansive panorama of Valdarno Inferiore.

For information, call +39 333 349 5168.