Last Saturday, as we were preparing ourselves for an afternoon of adventure, the blowing of police whistles followed by a band heralded the beginning of yet another procession through Viterbo. Steve and I headed out the door and down to the Fontana Grande to view the procession of Santissimo Salvadore.
The procession was preceded by a tempo group; if I have one picture of them I have scores. If you have been following this blog you might even recognize the individuals if not the bright red and white costumes.
In addition to the typical church groups and town officials, this procession has many marchers in medieval costume.
Why all the fuss? In 1283 a farmer plowing his field uncovered a stone box containing a painted leather triptych which they carried to the Church of Maria Nuova in Viterbo. It is likely that the artwork was buried a few decades earlier when Frederick II threatened the city, but memory is short and people aren’t very bright so its discovery was a miracle. Legend has it that the oxen plowing the field knelt down and refused to go any further until the spot was dug up and the box discovered. In recognition of that a team of oxen is given the honor of hauling the triptych though the streets as part of the procession. Quite the sight. Don’t worry, the procession was trailed by a street cleaner!
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