How Giglio came to be!

Door knockers, door mats, truck emblems, moped helmet stickers, grates, sewers, keychains, nonna's sauce spoon all have one thing in common, they have all been marked with the infamous Giglio in Florence. Ever since I got to Florence I kept my eyes peeled for what I could find with this ubiquitous icon. There are even posters that show the evolution of the Giglio over the past 200 years that are hung in cafe windows and around city stores. It seems like this Giglio is a patriotic symbol that has rocked Florence for some time. I have become quite gung-ho to search the story behind this G and this is what I found:

The story of Paolino is where it all begins,

It all started in 409 A.D when Paolino, the Bishop of Nola, Naples, Italy made a great and noble sacrifice. Paolino who was a lawyer to the Roman Empire at an early age had left his position to state after losing his new born son. Paolino set on a spiritual quest of a simple disciplined life of prayer and charity, giving away all his possessions.

During years of the Roman Empire, Southern Italy was run by North African Conquers, Huns. Paolino was able to escape the rage while other men were captured and enslaved to North Africa.

A long venture home, Paolino returned to the town Nola with children, a widow had greeted him who's only son was taken captive. She pleaded for his help to free her son. It was Paolino's determination and vow to go to North Africa to barter for her son's freedom. When Paolino confronted the Hun's leader, he refused to release the young widow's son, so Paolino sacrificed his freedom for the young son. For this the Hun's leader accepted.

The legend calls that during Paolino's captivity he possessed a special gift to predict the future and on such occasion to warn the leader of impending danger. With arms wide open, Paolino was granted his freedom along with all other men from the town of Nola. All took a boat of the Turkish Sultan free passage after hearing Paolino's great sacrifice.

(THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE THIS IS WHERE GIGLIO COMES IN......)

After 2 years of enslavement, the townspeople met the heroic Paolino, overjoyed and grateful, they awaited his arrival all holding GIGLI, Italian for lily flowers. People in the town of Nola began carrying bouquets of lilies to churches. Eventually these GIGLI arrangements became a decoration around the town of Nola used by parishoners and faithful, mounting their lilies on poles and across town.

For this reason the GIGLIO has become a prominent symbol, emblem, icon, and decoration of nobility across Florence, but also across Italy and even parts in the United states, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, New York to pay homage to San Paolino.

Each year on June 22nd is the FEAST OF GIGLIO, a festival that has lived 300 years. A celebration that commermorates Paolino and the Dance of the Giglio- PICTURE THIS, Gigli Spires....125 men carrying a Five-ton, Five-Story, Hand-sculptured Tower (out of paper-mache) and a 12 piece brass band on their shoulders dancing it through the neighbourhood streets to tempo of giddy Italian folk songs.

So this is the reason behind FLorence's great obsession with lilies

If you would like to know more about what this Feast looks like check out this link to an article below.

http://www.americaitaliareview.com/past_articles/062004/