by Maureen Littlejohn
Every May, citizens of the baroque town of Noto (near Siracusa, Sicily) wait in anticipation for the main street to burst into bloom. The Infiorata, or Flower Carpet, is a 700-square-metre pageant of more than 400,000 flowers that welcomes spring as it rolls down Via Nicolaci.
It all started in May of 1980, when the tourist office invited the artists of Noto to create their flowery magic.
“The celebration was a huge success and became a tradition,” explains Andrea Vadalà, manager of tour operations with Sicily Day By Day. The tour company runs popular annual trips to the festival where visitors can not only get up close to the living carpet for colourful selfies but can also experience the spirited street life, including markets and parades.
Divided into 16 six-metre by four-metre panels, the carpet comprises different illustrations around a central theme. The last time the festival was celebrated in 2019, the theme was “Sicilians in the World,” looking at the success stories of immigrants. The city’s Institute of Art always contributes the city of Noto’s emblem, and it is the first panel in the flowery blanket.
Lasting about three to four days, the event culminates on the third Sunday of May. “The celebration really begins on Thursday night, when it is possible to observe the birth of the panels. You can see the thousands of petals and plants used to fill in the outline of the artists’ sketches,” notes Vadalà.
These four days allow visitors to watch the panels come to life and then see the final results. There are also numerous related events, including artist exhibitions in various historic buildings, and a Baroque Procession that recalls the splendor of Noto’s founding families.
There may be no Infiorata this year due to COVID, but all bets are on for a spectacular showing next year.
