Chocolate Festival

SATURDAY, Feb. 5th

I finally met up with Matt at the Chocolate festival!  

Background: Matt and I both went to & worked at the lovely CAMP CHAMPIONS.  Such a cowinky-dink that we are both studying in Florence the same semester!!! :D

Anyways, in Piazza Santa Croce there is a chocolate festival every year during the beginning of February; just in time for Valentine’s Day.  I only had one piece of chocolate and already needed water.  Chocolate is sooooooo rich here and the hot chocolate is LITERALLY melted chocolate.  From chocolate fountains to chocolate liquors, hearts to animals playing the guitar.  The chocolate owls and chocolate tools were my favorite.

While we were browsing the festival, a flag group ended up parading around the booths!  They are called “Sbandieratori”; literally translated to “flag wavers”.  

I GOT SO EXCITED.  Matt keep saying that I looked like a little kid in a candy shop.

I found out about the Sbandieratori from Under the Tuscan Sun. Yes, a chick flick movie, but it takes place almost entirely in Italy.  The Sbandieratori have flags, drums, weapons (spear like things) and horns. 

They are usually regional and each Sbandieratori has their own colors, symbols and crest.  The ones we saw were the Sbandieratori Città di Firenze.  

The Sbandieratori first circled the Chocolate Festival and then went through the main aisle of the tents.  They ended up doing multiple routines in the square.

Solo Routine

I also have videos of him doing tricks with 3 flags and 4 flags... SUPER COOL

(more videos on Veronica's YouTube Channel)

Doubles Routine 

The crowds were getting so eager that some of the Sbandieratori members had to repeatedly tell people to scoot back that way they did not get hit in the head by a flag.  The The Sbandieratori are DEFINITELY a ‘must see’ in Italy :)

Oh and other fun fact marking this day: I bought my Uffizi pass which allows me to get into all the state museums in Florence :D