Yesterday was a very special day for Palmi, as it was celebrating the Varia, a procession that takes place only once every 5 years on the last Sunday of August. A little girl, chosen to represent the Virgin Mary, is carried around the city on top of a 17 metre high mount. Not all the little ones you see are of flesh and blood: some are dolls – but there must be at least 10 children participating in the procession, safely fastened to Varia wagon. There are as many as 200 strong men carrying them, and they are accompanied by thousands of cheering spectators and loud firework bangs. It must be a relief for the little ‘Mary’ to end her glorious tour in the arms of the Palmi firemen, because many years ago, a similar procession in the Sicilian city of Messina, took the life of a young girl in the same role. Palmi’s Varia is in the process of being recognised as a Masterpiece on UNESCO’s list of ‘Intangible Heritage of Humanity’.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:12:57 +0000
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