In Acquapendente, on the third Sunday of May the Feast of Pugnaloni is held, to celebrate the Feast of the Madonna of Flower (del Fiore).
It includes folk events and parades of mosaics made with flowers and leaves.
Originally the Pugnaloni were the "cattle prods" (long sticks with a spiked tip which were used to push the oxen when ploughing) and are decorated with flowers and leaves to honour Our Lady.
Over the centuries they have evolved into the form they have today.
The tradition dates back to 1166 when the Madonna del Fiore gave the miracle of the blossoming of a dried cherry.
From this episode the population drew the strength to rebel against the despotic ruler, Frederick I Barbarossa.
The Pugnaloni today are mosaics made from flowers and leaves arranged on wooden panels of 2.6 to 3.6 meters.
The leaves and flowers are cut and glued onto the panel the night before the parade.
Originally the farmers celebrated the festival parading behind the statue of the Madonna and prods adorned with ginestre blooms to honour the weapons of battle and the blooming of the cherry.
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