Santa Zita and the Feast of Flowers

Way back in the 13th century, when Zita worked for a rich Lucchese family, she would “steal” stale bread from the kitchen to feed the hungry poor people in town. It seemed a shame for leftover bread to go to the pigs when it could help feed starving families. One day, a jealous co-worker tipped off the boss, who followed Zita and asked what she was hiding in her apron. “Flowers”, she replied. Sure enough, when she opened her apron to show her boss, flowers tumbled to the ground, with not a single tell-tale bread crumb. This miracle earned Zita the golden halo of sainthood and her intact 700 year old body now resting in a glass coffin in the Church of San Frediano, further proves her holy status (extra). This week, the Lucchesi are celebrating their patron saint with a festival of flowers. A grass lawn with trees and flowering bushes suddenly sprouted from the cobblestone piazza in front of San Frediano church (Another Santa Zita miracle? Featured foto), and the nearby Amphitheater has transformed into an open air flower and plant marketplace. One vendor had an absolutely amazing array of cactus and succulents - ranging from local native species to bizarre exotic species from Madagascar. There were so many beautiful plants I had to video the display. Only one photo for the extra, though.