The explosion of the cart, an entirely Florentine tradition
In Florence we care a lot about our traditions, especially the most ancient and particular ones.
What if we told you that for Easter we fly a dove with 4 rockets on a 150 meter long rope that starts right from the altar of our most important church and sets off a cart?
Read our article to discover the tradition of the explosion of the cart!
A centuries-long tradition
The tradition of the outbreak of the chariot goes back in time, even to the time of the Crusades.
Back in 1097 during a crusade for the Holy Sepulcher liberation it is said that a valiant Florentine, Pazzino de’Pazzi, was the first crusader to climb the walls of the Holy City and hoist the white flag with the red cross, symbol of the crusaders and of liberation.
In gratitude Goffredo di Buglione, the commander of the crusade, gives Pazzino three splinters of the Holy Sepulcher.
Pazzino returned to Florence where is welcomed as a hero and the sacred relics of the Holy Sepulcher preserved with great solemnity first in the family palace and then in various churches up to Holy Apostles Church, where they are still kept a thousand years later.
How do we get from a relic to the outbreak of the chariot?
Benedict fire
Fire has a purifying value and fire released by the rubbing of the three stone chips brought by Pazzino had an even more important value for the Florentines.
The tradition began for the florentines gathering together at Pazzi home to light one’s little torch at the sacred fire and then bring the purifying flame to one’s home.
Pazzi family spent not glorious moments in Florence and also the tradition of the sacred fire changed.
Soon, for simplification and practicality, a chariot was used to carry hot coals where people could light their torches and take them to their homes.
This chariot with burning fires turns over the years into the chariot that is blown up every year at Easter in Florence, let’s understand together how.
The cart explosion today
Today the symbolism of the purifying fire has different features but always linked to tradition.
In Florence for Easter the cart that then symbolically spreads the fire is set on fire by a dove, colombina, which starts from Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore main altar, the Duomo of Florence, and hits the cart.
The Colombina is a fake dove with 4 attached rockets that travels 150 meters on a wire towards the cart and then returns back.
The cart explosion is a brightly colored and very noisy fireworks display that symbolizes the distribution of Benedict fire to the whole city just as Pazzino de ‘Pazzi had done centuries earlier.
A very important colombina
It is essential that the colombina (dove) does not get stuck and that it completes its task of hitting the cart, called in Florentine brindellone, in order to be a good omen.
In 1966, for example, the colombina stopped and that year it is sadly known all over the world for a flood that hit Florence and all of Tuscany hard.
We are waiting for you at Villa Campestri to discover our traditions
We are waiting for you at Villa Campestri to welcome you and show you the most ancient and important traditions of our territory and to relax in our beautiful Tuscany.
Quick Booking snippet
One of the most meaningful experiences during a trip to Tuscany, beyond visiting art cities or iconic landscapes, is connecting with everyday local life. That connection often happens in village markets, artisan workshops, and small food shops where products are made for the people who live there year-round, not just for visitors. In this guide, […]
How to get to Mugello from Florence and how to travel around Tuscany with or without a car. Distances, trains, buses and transfers.
Romantic weekend in Tuscany between Mugello and Florence: scenic rooms, candlelight dinners, and olive oil tastings. Discover Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort.
Anyone visiting Florence for the first time imagines a stay right in the historic center, surrounded by museums, piazzas, and narrow cobblestone streets. It takes only a day, however, to realize that Florence is wonderful to explore yet challenging to inhabit. Between ZTL restrictions, scarce and expensive parking, constant noise, and high prices for even […]
Among the rolling hills of the Mugello, centuries‑old olive trees stand as living presences, deeply rooted in both time and landscape. Their twisted trunks, shaped by wind and sun, tell silent stories of rural life, patience, and renewal. In Tuscany, the olive tree embodies the quiet strength of nature: resilient, enduring, and generous. At Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort, […]
In Tuscany, some words taste like freshly pressed olive oil and warm bread; others echo bedtime stories whispered by grandparents. They’re simple expressions, but rich in meaning, full of identity, character, and that deep-rooted spirit of a land that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. During your stay at Villa Campestri […]
In the Mugello, wonder lives in the silence between the fields, broken only by the rustle of wind through the olive trees. It lingers in the cool shade of cobbled alleys that still echo with generations past. And it gathers in the squares of small villages, where days unfold in quiet conversation over market stalls […]
There’s an authentic way to discover Tuscany: get your hands in the soil, pick what the season offers, and turn it into something to share at the table.Farm‑to‑table is more than a trend: it’s a way of life, rooted in respect, tradition, and honest flavors. At Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort, it’s a daily ritual. […]