This year the traditional event called the Explosion of the Carriot will be held on Easter Sunday, April 4th, at the Duomo, at 11.00 o’clock, in a reduced way (in order to respect social distancing due to Covid), therefore no people, except for the authorities. The event will be filmed by a local Tv.

I want to shortly remind you the story of this ancient tradition which dates back to the Crusades.  A noble Florentine, Pazzino de’ Pazzi (belonging to the Pazzi family), back from the I Crusade, brought to Florence three small pieces of flintstone from the Holy Sepulcrum in Gerusalem. Since that moment in Florence  we started lighting the candles on Holy Saturday. On Easter Sunday, an enormous charriot pulled by four oxes crosses the city in a slow procession which ends in front of the Cathedral. The Charriot full of fireworks is then connected to the main altar through a wire; during the mass, at  the "Glory", a little fuse in shape of a dove, is light up and  "running" on the wire, hits the Charriot outside creating the explosion of the fireworks! 

Waiting for better times, your licensed tourist guide of Florence wish you a Good Easter!