Every year on Easter Sunday, Florence renews one of its oldest and most spectacular traditions: the Scoppio del Carro, or Explosion of the Cart. In Piazza del Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the great cart affectionately known by Florentines as the Brindellone becomes the centre of a ceremony in which history, faith and civic identity come together.
The most eagerly awaited moment is the flight of the Colombina, a small rocket shaped like a dove. It travels along a wire through the nave of the Cathedral and reaches the cart, setting off the fireworks.
The origins of the Scoppio del Carro
The origins of the Scoppio del Carro in Florence lie somewhere between history and legend and take us back to the time of the First Crusade.
According to tradition, in 1099 the Florentine Pazzino de’ Pazzi took part in the conquest of Jerusalem under Godfrey of Bouillon. As a reward for his courage, he is said to have received three fragments of stone from Christ’s Holy Sepulchre, which he later brought back to Florence.
The stones, now kept in the Church of Santi Apostoli, became associated with the ancient custom of lighting the Easter fire. Sparks struck from the stones were used to kindle the so-called holy fire, which after being blessed was distributed to Florentine families so that they could relight their domestic hearths as a symbol of the Resurrection and new life.
The Brindellone, Florence’s great cart
Over the centuries, the transport of the holy fire gradually developed into an increasingly elaborate ceremony. The cart was decorated with ornaments and torches and, eventually, with rockets and fireworks.
The present cart, known to Florentines as the Brindellone, is a large multi-storey wooden structure dating from the early seventeenth century. During the year it is kept in a special storage building in Via Il Prato.
On Easter morning the Brindellone leaves its depot and crosses the centre of Florence, pulled by the traditional white oxen decorated with flowers and accompanied by the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic, until it reaches Piazza del Duomo.
The flight of the Colombina
Once in Piazza del Duomo, the cart is positioned between the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. A steel wire connects the Brindellone to the Cathedral’s high altar.
The Colombina, a rocket named after its dove-like shape, is attached to this wire. During Mass, at the singing of the Gloria, the Archbishop lights the Colombina with the holy fire.
The small rocket speeds through the nave of the Cathedral, passes through the main doorway and reaches the cart, igniting the firecrackers, spinning fireworks and pyrotechnic devices arranged on the structure.
Why is the Colombina’s flight considered a good omen?
Tradition holds that, after reaching the Brindellone, the Colombina should also complete its return journey to the Cathedral altar without interruption.
In the past, a successful flight was considered a good omen for the harvest and for the year ahead. Even today, Florentines follow the Colombina’s journey and its return inside the Duomo with particular attention.
One of Florence’s best-loved traditions
The Scoppio del Carro is much more than a fireworks display. It is a celebration in which the religious meaning of Easter, the memory of the city and the strong sense of belonging felt by Florentines all come together.
Watching the Brindellone move through the streets of the historic centre, the figures of the historical procession, the decorated oxen and finally the Colombina racing from the Cathedral towards the cart reveals a side of Florence that goes beyond museums and famous monuments: the Florence of popular traditions, still deeply connected to the city’s history.
