Calendimaggio!

The Calendimaggio of Assisi (sometimes also transcribed Kalendimaggio ) is a festival that is celebrated every first Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday after May 1st of every year, to greet the arrival of spring . The two Parts into which the city is divided, the Nobilissima Parte de Sopra and the Magnifica Parte de Sotto , compete for the conquest of the palio , through the development of processions in medieval costumes ( circa 13th century - mid 15th century), recited scenes of re-enactment of medieval life in the alleys of the city and musical performances: the winning party is decided by a jury, made up of internationally renowned experts, that is, a historian, a musicologist and a personality from the world of entertainment. ^[1]

So, that's the Wikipedia version.  Wanna hear mine? 

The Calendimaggio of Assisi is, and always will be, one of the best memories of my life.  

We started on Wednesday afternoon, standing on the sidelines and watching, for the entire afternoon, as just about every single resident of the town of Assisi, their children, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, dressed in the most gorgeous  of medieval costumes, took part in a big or small way, in the fantastic celebration. Drums, trumpets, horses, riders, young, old. Procession after procession, pageantry, tradition, pride, joy, laughter, smiles and one gorgeous way to welcome the Spring. The contest between the upper part of the city and the lower. But oh, so much more.

And, we were there. 

Yesterday, we returned for more.  This time, I had the pure joy of meeting up with my dear friend Isabel, a resident of Assisi.  She and I have been friends ever since the first day, in 2018, when I entered the cafe at which she worked as a barista, and sat, writing my blog at 7AM.....every day....for a month. I nicknamed her "Sam Malone" because after a while, it occurred to me that Cafe il Duomo and the Cheers Bar in Boston has so much in common. I was saddened the next year, when I returned and she did not. A better job lured her away but the things that drew us together have kept us in touch and, despite a twenty five year age difference, we still enjoy our times together. So, yesterday, my dear buddy made sure that la signora got a front row view (she can be aggressive), and, armed with a few Aperol Spritz, we did Day Two of this glorious event. Again, processions, drummers, beautiful prospective Madonne di Primavera and skilled archers, sportsmen and musicians.  I don't think I have smiled as much in a very long time. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement.  It was amazing and it isn't even over yet. 

Tomorrow is our big day. We have tickets. We get to sit down and see it all. This has been on my bucket list, that's a fact. But, I never anticipated that my heart would burst in the way that it did. After two years of the Pandemic, two years of cancelled Calendimaggio, the crowd was ripe and ready for a good time and, the Italians were never slackers when it came to a good party.