“La Rificolona”

The “Rificolona” is a paper lantern festival that takes place in Florence between September 7th and 8th, when the Holy Mary was born. It is one of the most ancient festivals of the city. In ancient times, peasants used to walk from the countryside – Impruneta and Vallombrosa – to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, where they could celebrate the Holy Mary and sell their products in the market. Since they had to walk a long distance, they left the countryside at night and walked with paper lanterns while singing a song that people still remember nowadays:
“Ona, ona, ona
Oh che bella rificolona!
La mia l’è co’ fiocchi
La tua l’è co’ pidocchi.
E l’è più bella la mia
Di quella della zia”
The name “Rificolona” may have two different origins. On the one hand, it defines the wooden stick – the Rificolona – used to carry the paper lanterns. On the other hand, that name was a way to call peasant women who used to wear simple gowns and walk very ungainly. They were called “fieruncolona” and “fierucolona”, which then became “Rificolona”.
Nowadays the festival lasts 2 to 3 days and people try to set very colorful Rificolonas on fire by using a blowgun to perforate the paper.

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