From one rose city to another!

It's time to tell you about something. I've been waiting to get the story straight, but if I wait much longer, there will be very little (if any at all now anyway) suspense for you.

Viterbo celebrates the Macchina di Santa Rosa (the machine of St. Rose) every year on September 3rd. We've been watching the preparation for this since we arrived. I'll walk you through what I have so far.

Saint Rose lived from 1233 to 1251. Her first miracle occurred when she brought her aunt back to life at the age of three. From then on, she performed many helpful interventions. She wanted to gain entry in the order of the Poor Clares, but was denied that wish. After her death, she appeared in Pope Alexander IV and he had her body transported from San Sisto to the place next to her home (where she was born and died in 1552). Since this time, she has appeared in many people's dreams and saved Viterbo from attack.

Because of this legend, every year since 1664 there has been a procession from San Sisto to the Church of the Clarrisae. 80-100 men will carry this 3.5-5 ton "machine" that will transport St. Rose. It's got to be over a mile route and much of it is uphill. The tradition is that they run the last bit uphill. In 1801, 22 people were trampled. In 1967 it started swaying so they did not complete the track then. It's over 3o meters high!

Here is a crane putting together the various parts of this design (designs last 5 years). We left the city one morning with it looking like this...

...and returned home to see this.

Here is Santa Rosa on the top.

Everyone is Santa Rosa crazy. This is a common storefront window that we see now (models of machines of years past).

And, this is what she looks like now. All covered up near Porto Romano (near our street) until the big day.

Tonight we attended the September 1st mini-machine. There is a little machine that children transport from 9-10 PM. Here are the children (they will take turns carrying it)

Here is the mini-machine coming out. Once she was out, all of the lights went out and we followed the stream for a while. It's quite medieval. The small winding cobblestone streets packed with people were somewhat claustrophobic.

If you go on youtube, you can find some footage of how incredibly intense this is. I'll see what I can do about getting good photos for September 3rd to show you, but I can't promise quality.

At the moment, it's non-stop Santa Rosa. Streets blocked, music all night, parades, drum rolls, random medieval people walking around...