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| The Procession of the Snake Catchers (Serpari) |
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When:
May 3 , 2012
Where: Cocullo (in Abruzzo), Italy
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Once a year, on the first Thursday in May, a unique event is held in Cocullo in Abruzzo region. This event preserves an ancient middle ages tradition - the festival of snake capturers. The festival is held for the honor of San Domenico Abate who, according to the local tradition, protects the residents from snakes' bites and toothache. This is one of the known Paganism events which are still preserved in the Christian ritual. After the religious ceremony the believers cover the holy sculpture with live snakes and exit to the sounds of the church's bells to a procession. In the head of the procession march the capturers of the snakes and women that carry traditional cakes that would be hand out to the needy. The event reaches its climax at noon when the spectators hope that the snakes will surround the saint head - which is a good, (good omen) and not slide to its shoulder or arms because it indicates bad sign.
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Watch video
The Procession of the Snake Catchers (Serpari)
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IMPORTANT:
Please note that the details of the event are subject to change.
We strongly recommended that you check with the organizers
before making any travel arrangements.
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Event related information:
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Italy -
background and overview:
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
[Courtesy of The World Factbook]
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Italy details
Location: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia. |
Languages:
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area). |
Climate:
Predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south. |
Capital:
Rome |
Time Zone:
UTC+1 (Summer UTC+2) |
Currency (code):
Euro (EUR) |
Call Code:
+39 |
Electric Power:
230V 50Hz |
Tourist office:
Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo (ENIT), Or Rome Tourist office Phone: +39 06 67104526 |
Tourist website:
Click Here |
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