Drums And Flags: Sagre della Merangola

  The festival season is kicking into gear around Umbria. I watch as the posters come up, pretty much exactly the same every year, with only a slight change in the dates to make it weekend event.

  We have several around Lago Trasimeno, and we try to attend something different every year.

  This year, we made it a point to visit the tiny village of Piana, just to see what the heck this particular festa is all about:

  

  

I have seen this poster every year for six years now, and always wondered. Especially since the area is not really known for it's massive orange production. Olive oil, yes…wine, certainly…even a chestnut festival every year is a must.

  But oranges? Who knew?

  All we saw related to said oranges, was a stand set up selling them by the kilo.

  Well, turns out that later in the afternoon of the festival days, the young folk toss oranges at each other.

  It's known as "Il Tradizionale 'Lancio delle Arance'"…..the traditional throwing of the oranges. They do it down south, too, and tomatoes get hurled around somewhere, too. I think these events happen in Spain, as well….but on much larger and more dangerous level….

  Anyway, we were there earlier in the day, so we decided to just hang out and enjoy the local bands and people watching.

  I couldn't help taking a photograph of these two wee participants of the historic parade….

Adorable.

  We were enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the local band playing jazz tunes, when all of a sudden the sounds of drums came around the corner. (sadly drowning out the other band, but it ended well for all…)

I always love a good drum and flag throwing show!
This is "Gruppo Storico Cittá Montefalco"

  It was so fun to watch, and I took a bunch of videos, three of which are posted here, below.

  As a former drummer and member of a marching band, this was totally in my wheel house. I left poor Mr. J behind to baby sit my wine, and joined the spectators …..

  

  They all looked so nice in the historic outfits….the drumming was intense, and the flag throwers didn't drop the flags once, as far as I saw….
  The group is from Montefalco, a beautiful village about an hour away from here.

  These two young men, below, were pretty impressive…I couldn't stop filming them….

  As for the oranges and all, we stuck around for a little while, met an English couple, and enjoyed a visit to their nearby farmhouse. It was beautiful, and we hit it off like old pals.
  You never know what or who will happen around here.

  On our way back home, we witnessed the aftermath of the Traditional Throwing of the Oranges, which was basically a bunch of busted open oranges littered about the main piazza.

  We'll try to catch that end of the day next year.