Genzano Infiorata, a Carpet of Flowers for Corpus Domini

The Genzano Infiorata for Corpus Domini is a spectacular carpet of flowers featuring the colors of nature: the yellow of broom, the blue of woad, the red of carnations, the green of myrtle and wild fennel. The event involves meticulous preparation, divided into several phases:

1. the creation of religious-themed sketches with decorative motifs;
2. the collection of flowers and plant essences;
3. their peeling, that is, separating the petals from the corolla and preserving them in the cool caves of the town hall;
4. the ground drawings on Saturday evening along the central via Belardi, of seventeenth-century origin, and the actual placement of the petals, which begins on Sunday morning and ends in the early afternoon.

What makes the Genzano Infiorata unique is the vast surface area: about 2000 square meters of pavement transform into a riot of colors and scents, framing the traditional Evening Corpus Domini Procession.

The Genzano Infiorata ends with the so-called spallamento, when children run down from the steps of the Santa Maria church, destroying the petal artworks.

Over the centuries, the Genzano Infiorata, initially a religious-popular event dedicated to “He who passes,” has also become an artistic and cultural event, attracting large crowds of visitors from Italy and abroad.

Among them have been famous personalities such as Hans Christian Andersen, Massimo d’Azeglio, Nikolaj Gogol, Garibaldi, and others.

Flowers and Essences Used Today in the Genzano Infiorata