Italy - Marta Barabbata

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Click on an image for a larger picture or Slideshow button (right) for automatic display. May 2013. Each May 14th outside Marta, a lovely fishing village on Lake Bolsena, a fertility celebration called Barabbata, or the Madonna of the Mountain, takes place. A procession is carried out by men on horseback, then artisans, followed by farmers divided into groups: sowers, diggers, and fishermen and shepherds, all carrying the tools of their trade. They walk from the lake to the small sanctuary of the Madonna of the Mountain where they celebrate with food and wine. About thirty floats are towed by tractors or oxen. They are decorated with fresh flowers and feature produce from the earth and water, symbols of ancient Cerere: grapes, olives, grain, and all types of fresh fish. Local cheeses and wine can also be seen on some of the floats.