Italy's oldest Gerano Infiorata festival applies for World Intangible Cultural Heritage status
Italy's oldest 'Infiorata' festival in Gerano, with a history of nearly 300 years, is applying for UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage status. This traditional festival involves creating artistic images on the ground using flower petals and has been held continuously even during wars and major epidemics.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 19:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 20:01 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 00:04 (4h 2m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Ya-shih, Rome, 27th) As spring flowers bloom, the small town of Gerano in central Italy boasts a traditional festival with a nearly 300-year history, where artistic images are created on the ground using flower petals. This, Italy's oldest 'Infiorata' festival, is currently applying to become a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Gerano is a small town about an hour's drive from Rome. This year, the 297th Infiorata festival was held from April 24th to 26th. This traditional festival can be traced back to 1740 and is held annually on the Sunday after St. Mark's Day on April 25th.
The celebration originated as a tribute to the painting 'Madonna of the Sacred Heart,' collected in the local church, which was painted by Italian artist Sebastiano Conca in the 18th century and is currently housed in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Gerano.
According to legend, this painting was brought to Gerano by two Jesuits in 1729. The residents of Gerano began to worship the painting and pleaded with the friars not to take it away. The Jesuits initially refused, but every time they tried to leave the village with the painting, it would rain. Local believers interpreted this as a sign that 'the Virgin Mary wished to stay in Gerano.'
The Gerano Infiorata festival is currently included in the candidate list for UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage, mainly because it has been held continuously for nearly 300 years since its inception, without interruption even during wars or major epidemics.
The method of creating the Infiorata is also considered highly culturally unique. Flower artists draw patterns directly on the ground with chalk and then fill in the colors using only petals and leaves, forming giant, fragrant, vibrant, but short-lived 'natural mosaics.'
In recent years, the themes of the Infiorata have increasingly corresponded to current events. This year, in addition to a religious focus on the new Pope Leo XIV, in the secular realm, cute Pinocchio, the protagonist of The Adventures of Pinocchio, was depicted with petals to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pinocchio's author, Carlo Collodi, in 2026. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Huang Ya-shih, Rome, 27th) As spring flowers bloom, the small town of Gerano in central Italy boasts a traditional festival with a nearly 300-year history, where artistic images are created on the ground using flower petals. This, Italy's oldest 'Infiorata' festival, is currently applying to become a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Gerano is a small town about an hour's drive from Rome. This year, the 297th Infiorata festival was held from April 24th to 26th. This traditional festival can be traced back to 1740 and is held annually on the Sunday after St. Mark's Day on April 25th.
The celebration originated as a tribute to the painting 'Madonna of the Sacred Heart,' collected in the local church, which was painted by Italian artist Sebastiano Conca in the 18th century and is currently housed in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Gerano.
According to legend, this painting was brought to Gerano by two Jesuits in 1729. The residents of Gerano began to worship the painting and pleaded with the friars not to take it away. The Jesuits initially refused, but every time they tried to leave the village with the painting, it would rain. Local believers interpreted this as a sign that 'the Virgin Mary wished to stay in Gerano.'
The Gerano Infiorata festival is currently included in the candidate list for UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage, mainly because it has been held continuously for nearly 300 years since its inception, without interruption even during wars or major epidemics.
The method of creating the Infiorata is also considered highly culturally unique. Flower artists draw patterns directly on the ground with chalk and then fill in the colors using only petals and leaves, forming giant, fragrant, vibrant, but short-lived 'natural mosaics.'
In recent years, the themes of the Infiorata have increasingly corresponded to current events. This year, in addition to a religious focus on the new Pope Leo XIV, in the secular realm, cute Pinocchio, the protagonist of The Adventures of Pinocchio, was depicted with petals to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Pinocchio's author, Carlo Collodi, in 2026. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150427
Choose to stand with the facts. Every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.