As the promise of free food lingered in the horizon, my friends and I stuck around campus for a while after we finished orientation events. The one caveat to free dinner? We had to watch an Italian flag throwing ceremony.
At first it sounded very lame and we were all quite hungry, which didn't help matters. However, I'm really glad that we had to watch it as it was a very cool and uniquely Florentine experience (or perhaps you would see it at Disney World, but that's a different matter).
The people running the program only told us that it was a Florentine tradition, but failed to give any back story. My research didn't turn up much, but it seems like these flag throwers are called "sbandieratori." The group we saw was most likely part of a reenactment group that does public performances around Florence. In the old days, flags were used to distinguish guilds and nations. As they were such weighty symbols, they were not supposed to touch the ground. Hence the throwing. The performances always start with a drum processional and follows with music. As the music plays and builds, the flag throwers jog into specific formations with perfectly synchronized footsteps. As the music crescendos, they get ready to toss the flags (sometimes to each other and sometimes straight above their heads). A solo flag-throwing performance even took place during the one I saw.
And just in case you can't picture this acrobatic, militaristic, and historically-costumed practice, I have a couple pictures for you:
The drummers! Must say, as a costume design/fashion nut, I love their outfits.
An example of one of the flag formations.
Flags in action. I wasn't able to capture the throwing with my phone camera.
If anyone knows anything more about the historical significance of flag-throwing, please let me know. I'm actually interested.
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