Festa del Falò

Rocca San Casciano, a village of approximately 2100 inhabitants, is located in Forlì and Cesena county, 27 Kms far from the chief town, along SS67 Tosco Romagnola road, which connects the cities of Ravenna/Forlì to Firenze, through the Muraglione pass.

The Festa del Falò origin gets lost in the night of the times; someone says that it comes from pagan rites, celtic in special manner. Others says that in Rocca San Casciano, since XII the century, bonfires were ignited along Montone river, after destructively floods, in the intent to calm the river waters.

Based on these pagan rites, starting from the 1700, the religious recurrence of St. Joseph (19th March) has been introduced, and for many years this has been the date in which the festivity has been celebrated. Tradition wanted that, in the courtyards of every district bonfires came lit; around it, people was eating, was drinking and dancing. In more recent epoch the bonfires have returned in their original position, near the river site, and here, in the last century they have been challenged by the four factions representing the city quarters: Borgo di Sopra, Borgo di Sant’Antonio, Buginello and Mercato. Nowadays only two of the four original districts carry on the tradition: Borgo di Sopra and Mercato.

Nowadays it is possible to have a Bonfire Night in many cities, with several different meanings like the Holy Patron commemoration, the spring arrival or the invocation of a good year for the fields harvest.

The Festa del Falò you may have in Rocca San Casciano, even if with similar traditions with others, can be considered unique in its kind. Earth, Air, Water, Fire: these are the elements of the great suggestive fair of the village. Borgo and Mercato are challenging each other, building along the Montone river sides, practically in the village centre, two great bonfires made of brooms.

The village festival starts on Saturday afternoon, with the traditional water dive show of Gianè in Montone river, it continues with the haystacks straw covering and it culminates in the evening, when, between shouts and mockery choruses of the districts supporters, the two bonfires come ignited at the same time while the town bells sound. Even if an official competition is not carried on from a lot of years, the most rapid lighting will determine the winner and it will be reason of discussions and jokes for all the following year.

The challenge continues while the bonfires burn: then the moment of the fireworks comes, in particular the ones named “Botti”, shots of very large firecrackers which start simultaneously and produce an impressive roar. At this moment the challenge is to wait till the opposite district starts to light the firecrackers and try to cover their roar with the own ones.

But this is not the end. After about an hour, when the bonfires are now reduced in a pile of embers, the comparison is moved to the main square where the parades begin: every district has roughly an hour to get free the own imagination. Every parade is based on a particular subject, each year different, inspired to a foreign country, to a special theme or simply the product of their fantasy. Following that, two or three large floats are realized, enlivened by people on them and surrounded from other people of the district. In order to prepare the floats and the customs (everyone prepares it on his own) people spends a lot of spare time in the previous months, while everything comes burn with the enthusiasm of a parade that lasts less than a hour. As soon as a neighbourhood leaves the main square, the second one is ready to enter with its parade. Each parade is supported by music and lights.

Midnight is passed when the supporters return to the neighbourhood headquarter and start to celebrate the evening success, while the main square slowly gets empty.