Sept 12, 2015
Every year Vicenza has an event called 'Il Giro Della Rua". Usually we miss it because it falls when we are away on a four-day weekend, but this year, due to weather, it was postponed so we were able to enjoy the festivities.
I have read many different versions of the history of it but to briefly sum it up [or at least what I understood of it]…
La Rua is a symbol of the city of Vicenza which has been used on the Feast of Corpus Christi for six centuries, starting in 1444. There have been many different versions of La Rua and now there is an organization dedicated to the event.
Prior to 1928, the festival had a wooden structure that was carried around the centro storico which held some of Vicenza's rich notaries while people cheered from the street. This was last done on a rainy day in 1928.
Today's version of La Rua is 20 metric tons and is 24 meters tall. It is based on the 15th century design by Andrea Palladio and has a small ferris wheel-like mechanism. There is a small, abstract version that is carried throughout the parade, which features children and adults in various organizations marching, dancing, and walking. There is also a fantastic light show on the basilica, singing, and other performers.
We enjoyed part of the experience from the roof of the basilica, then meandered down to the piazza. After a pretty sunset, the events began and we watched amongst the stone statues.
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