What better idea to have a flower fair than on Saint Zita’s anniversary! Saint Zita is Lucca’s patroness saint and yesterday we spent a colourful afternoon in and around the city’s amphitheatre square – yes, it used to be Lucca’s former amphitheatre and that’s why it’s oval in shape – admiring the flowers and replacing those of our plants (including our kumquat) which had become martyrs to the dismal sun-less, rain-sodden winter-spring we’d experienced here until the other week.

In the great basilica of San Frediano the saint’s body had been hauled out of her side-chapel and placed on display in the main nave. St Zita’s followers bought some white flowers from a desk to the right, touching them against the glass containing her naturally mummified body and a verger gave us a commemorative immaginetta.

Santa Zita, patron saint of that increasingly rare species, the domestic servant (and, perhaps more usefully for most of us to be invoked for help in finding lost keys, thus avoiding that boring dialogue: “You’ve got the car keys”. “No, I haven’t!” “Yes you have.”  etc.) was a poor peasant girl born near Monsagrato (where there is a chapel dedicated to her, visited a few years back when it was being painstakingly restored) who was taken into employment by a rich family as a scullery maid? Through plain hard work she became principal housekeeper (St Zita believed that a hard graft rather than prayer was the way to produce results – which I would certainly not disagree with!) She was generous to the poor and needy and on one occasion was accused of having stolen bread to give to them. Zita was strip-searched but instead of the stolen goods they found beautiful flowers in her apron pockets (hence the appositeness of having that market fair on her day).

(Several photos by grateful acknowledgment to Alexandra)

Saint Zita’s flower market has been extended for two more days to create a ‘Ponte’ or bridge to Italy’s next big national Holiday, May 1^st where the main street of Fornaci di Barga will be pedestrianized and blossoming with more flowers. The lovely weather we’re experiencing now must be a welcome reward for all those overcast and gloomy weeks we’ve had to endure….

So today and tomorrow you can still enjoy St Zita’s transformation of flour in flowers apart from having your first really welcome ice-cream of this glorious season!

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PS There are BIG happenings in Bagni di Lucca too. The schools and colleges theatre season opens with the biggest array of events ever – over ninety  in just five weeks plus a great venue in Villa Ada where a marquee has been set up for all sorts of exciting events including circus, acrobatics, music and lots more. Who wants to be anywhere else in the world now that spring is here!