THE SHOW IS FROM THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE BANKS OF THE ARNO

visibility from the banks of the Arno.

The fireworks are not the only tradition where Florence celebrates its patron saint. What and when are the other events?

On the morning of 24th June, the St. John’s mission leaves its headquarters in Via Portinari in a procession and marches through the streets of the city centre to Palazzo Vecchio to present the St. John’s Cross to the mayor; it is specially made each year by a well-known Florentine cra sman. Afterwards, the procession reaches the baptistery to present the candles to the Archbishop, and then moves into the cathedral for a mass. In the a ernoon, the Palio Remiero di San Giovanni in Arno rowing rega a is held, where the agile four-man paddles of the Società Cano ieri Firenze revive the ancient race on the water. Then there is the coronation of the Marzocco, the lion of Florence, which takes place on the morning of the Sunday before 24th June, while the Sunday a er the 24th there is the ritual of removing the crown.

The St. John the Baptist Association is also involved in preserving other Florentine and Tuscan traditions and promoting cultural, artistic and sporting events. What are some examples of this?

Among the most significant is the procession with the banners that on 30th November, Tuscan Day, commemorates the penal reform enacted in 1786 by Peter Leopold of Lorraine, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. We then have Florentine Week with cultural initiatives, gatherings and debates, and on 29th January, on the anniversary of its founding, St. John awards the Il Bel San Giovanni Prize to personalities or institutions ‘who have achieved fame and unanimous appreciation’.