| Discovering 'La Sagra' |
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Erin heads to Borgo San Lorenzo to nearly taste a great Italian tradition.
  About three weeks ago I started to notice huge fluorescent posters around the city and it was only for so long that I could ignore the walls of neon green and orange with huge black block letters that said “SAGRA.” A sagra, it turns out, is a local fair that is usually held in conjunction with a religious festival or a saint’s feast day. The word “sagra” is derived from “sacra festa,” with the evolution of the word coinciding with the secularization of the festival that began about thirty years ago. Organized by community organizations or churches, there might be a parade, religious procession, or athletic competition, with the funds raised going to the community or church. No matter what else goes on at the sagra, there is always the food. Each festival is generally based around a local dish, wine, or ingredient, and can be as highly specialized as the sagra of spaghetti in a lightly seasoned sauce with steamed mussels, as general as the sagra of pine nuts (Sagra di Pinolo), or as whimsical as the sagra of gelato in brioches (Sagra delle Brioches con Gelato). During the meal, prepared by local men and women and served by local children, members of the community and guests sit at long communal tables to enjoy the culmination of the festival that the community spent months preparing. Along with the food, people might be entertained by performances from the local dance school, a theatre performance, or a band. These festivals are all about the community, with most residents participating in the festivities in some manner. You won’t find so many tourists at a sagra because they are in out-of-the-way locations, often only accessible by car. But as I found, if you’re looking for something a little different, a sagra is worth the trek. I attended the Sagra della Bistecca Fiorentina (Sagra of Steak Florentine) in Borgo San Lorenzo, a short train ride from Florence. Leaving the train station, I asked a local woman how to get to the sagra, and was met with a tired sigh. I wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or not! Regardless, I ventured into the center of the town and eventually merged into the hoards of people heading in the same direction. I was starting to get excited as I had I finally got to the central piazza. My mental image of a town square, with people dancing in traditional costumes was quickly crushed when I came upon a huge car sale. Shiny new trucks and cars, all at discounted prices! This was not the intimate occasion I was expecting. But I carried on, and after asking around I was told the sagra was also a major agricultural fair, and if I was looking for something a little more quaint I’d have to go to a smaller community. With a better idea what was going on I continued into the tent-lined streets filled with young families, old couples, and the occasional teenager, bustling around, sampling the food and searching for treasures. As it was an agricultural festival, local produce, meats, and cheeses were available to try and buy. Tractors and every other type of farm equipment imaginable were being examined by local farmers and curious passers by. Vendors were selling everything you could imagine and more: kids and adults alike were vying for sweets like bombolone and cotton candy; people were carefully browsing through jewellery and clothes; knives, swords, and hunting equipment were waiting to be purchased by the rugged outdoors person; and the gas fireplaces became very useful as the rain started to pour down. The inclement weather didn’t deter anyone from enjoying the fair. People either pulled out their umbrellas or, as I did, huddled in the shelter with the animals. I mingled with the sheep, marked and ready for sale, where I discovered that sheep actually say “baaaaaaa.” Feeling satisfied with the precision of the onomatopoeia I moved to a tent filled with miscellaneous equines, some of which kids got to ride. Some of the bolder visitors attempted to feed the ponies, Clydesdales, and other horses various treats from the sweets stands, much to the irritation of their handlers and owners. Then I moved on to see the biggest attraction: the cows. Massive white beef cattle lazed around a shelter munching on hay. The strength and power of these animals seemed to be too much to be left simply tied to a flimsy metal bar, but I was the only one who seemed to mind. In a separate area some baby cows drifted in and out of sleep as passers by affectionately stroked their noses. After one look at those big eyes my decision was made, I would not be having bistecca fiorentina for dinner. Attenedees were not deterred by this strange combination of petting zoo and meat market, as they streamed to the tent for the 7pm meal - the main event. As smoke rose from the massive white tent, signalling the preparation of local dishes including crostini, pasta, salad, chicken, and bistecca fiorentina, families and friends surrounded long patio tables for a night of reverie. Children in matching t-shirts carefully took orders, and with intense focus delivered plates and bowls heaping with steaming hot food to the hungry masses. Parents helped children cut their food, old friends joked over a bottle of wine, and the local police stopped by for a bite to eat. In cities a sense of community can often be lost, and people on the streets can easily fade into the background. Beyond the car sales and the rain, the sagra at Borgo San Lorenzo gave this urbanite a refreshing slice of fellowship, even without the bistecca fiorentina that I originally came for.
Sagras in and around Florence: 3 June - 13 July: Sagra delle Brioches con Gelato, San Pancrazio and Lucighano 6-15 June: Sagra di Pinolo, Chiesanuova 13-15 June: Sagra del Tartufo, Cellai-Rignano Sull'Arno 13-15 June: Sagra del Cinghiale, Montespertoli 14-15 June: Sagra del Tortello, Ronta - Borgo San Lorenzo 21-22, 28-29 June: Sagra della Minestra di Pane a Vitolini, Firenze 28 June - 6 July: Sagra della Ficattola, Montespertoli 5-6 July: Festa del Tortello, Palazzuolo sul Senio
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