It all starts innocuously, solemnly. A pious procession emerges from the church and parades through the streets, following after the town’s patron saint, the Madonna of San Giovanni, who is perched on the shoulders of four strong and worthy men. They stop periodically to recite a prayer then continue along their somber way, returning to the church. A Mass ensues then the congregants file out while the bells toll loud and long.
Then the apparently devout turn into debauchees as the biggest festa of the year begins, transforming this normally quiet hilltop hamlet into a wine-fueled festival of fireworks. The Cavallo di Fuoco, or horse of fire, has been an annual rite since 1682, when it was first enacted to celebrate the coronation of the Madonna di San Giovanni as the town’s protectress. The confraternity of St. John, who commissioned a sacred likeness of the Virgin Mary and who were dedicated to protecting and venerating it, have, for more than three centuries, organized the annual cavalcade of fire.
The original cavallo di fuoco began with a master of pyrotechnics who rode around the piazza astride a horse while tossing fireworks and aerial incendiaries skyward. Eventually the confraternity constructed a wooden horse and strapped the fireworks to its frame. It was carried on the shoulders of men who were swaddled in wet blankets to protect themselves. Through the centuries it has became grander and more elaborate, the horse nowadays sculpted in metal and fixed on wheels, while the pyrotechnic display has evolved into a stunning choreography of shooting flames and spinning sparklers along with high-flying fireworks.
Vendors set up around town hawking everything from roasted pork sandwiches and vino to handmade ceramics. The excellent local wine is consumed in bulk, as crowds swarm the street and await the excitement. The horse is wheeled out followed by a snaking stream of revelers ringing cowbells, applauding and whistling. When the church bells stop tolling, the horse is loosed.
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The cavallo is lit in a blaze of rocketing glory. It is guided along the street and through the main piazza by members of the confraternity who fight to keep the crowd at bay. Spinning wheels mounted on the horse’s head spray circular bursts that rain sparks in a wide arc; roman candles shoot heavenward from its back like miniature missiles in this unique (and slightly dangerous!) tradition. Many Ripani, as the townspeople are called, hold up their hands to “catch” the sparks, which is said to bring luck.
The riotous fun last about a half-hour, but the street party plays out long into the night.
The tradition is so beloved and enduring that a local winery has named one of their vintages after it.
The Cavallo di Fuoco is held annually on the first Sunday following Easter, as part of the celebration known officially as the Festa dell’Ottava di Pasqua. Ripatransone is located in the region of Le Marche, near the beach resort of San Benedetto del Tronto and the beautiful provincial capital of Ascoli Piceno.