After performing at the Italian Cultural and Recreation Center for the Italian Feast of the Republic, they had time to enjoy dinners, shopping, a few immersions in the Red Sea and a visit to the souqs of Jeddah’s historic center, known as the Balad, thus discovering the charms of this ancient part of town.
“We’ll never forget Naseef House and the beautiful voices of the muezzins singing in unison," said one of the members of the group, speaking for them all. "The atmosphere and the interesting explanations we were given about Muslim prayer and Arab tradition touched us deeply. Our feeling is Italian and Saudi cultures could easily cohabit and enrich each other.”
Last Thursday, the Italian tricolor waved under the smiles of almost 500 guests from the local and international community who watched the colorful performance of the young group, comprised of flag bearers, drummers and clarion players from the Italian town of Lucca, that was flown in for the special occasion.
The Italian Feast of the Republic (Festa della Repubblica) takes place on June 2nd and commemorates the transition in 1946 of Italy from a monarchy to a republic, which was accomplished through a public referendum following World War II and the fall of Italian Fascism. This year the commemoration has a surplus value in marking 150 years since Italy's unification. No doubt Italian Consul General Dr. Simone Petroni was eager to give a special touch to the event.
“My idea was to recreate the folklorist atmosphere of the ancient flag-bearing art. Browsing the Internet, I discovered the St. Anna Flag Flyers, a group that boasts vast experience in the art, and so I decided to invite them,” said Petroni.
Founded in 1994 through the Youth Section of the Blood Donors Fraternity of St. Anna, the group has taken part in historical ceremonies in Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. In 2006 the group had the privilege of performing for Pope John Paul II, and later for Pope Benedict XVI, in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
Although the group's members are accustomed to performing abroad, the invitation to represent Italy in Saudi Arabia held special meaning because the troupe had never been to the Middle East. Being cultural ambassadors of Italy provided this unique opportunity for these young Italian men and women to experience an Arab country.
The musicians and flag bearers opened the ceremony dressed in traditional green, brown and white costumes, the same colors that soldiers of the ancient Republic of Lucca used to wear. As the group’s booklet explains: “The flag flyers represent the medieval standard-bearers, young men of high birth who had the honor of bearing the group emblems […] in case of danger, they threw the flag beyond the besiegers. Throughout the centuries this act has become a competitive sport.”
Since 2000, a flag tournament animates the city of Lucca every May followed in July and September by two main historical reenactments: The “Luminara of St. Paolino”, the patron of the town, and the “Luminara of the Holy Cross”, in honor of the Holy Face of Lucca.
The level of appreciation for the St. Anna’s Flag Flyers exhibition in Jeddah exceeded all expectations. The regional director for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Al-Tayeb, shook hands with the artists and was given a ceramic plate showing the city of Lucca and an historical book of the town.
“Although performing to the maximum level of commitment, we had fun and felt incited by the euphoria of a public who had never attended a flag show,” wrote Diana Rossi, a drummer in the group and a reporter for the local newspaper Gazzetta di Lucca.
The group was created to bring young people together, to encourage them to perform volunteer work and to arouse their interest in sports associated with historical events. Diana kept a diary during her trip and reported in Gazzetta the group’s impressions of Jeddah. Lucca officials and founders of the group also expressed in the paper their pride that their local group was chosen to travel to Jeddah for the occasion.
