Florence and Her Flags

The Florentines' love their flags!  There are flags everywhere, and they all have some special significance or meaning.  For example, the Italian flag is displayed proudly in special celebration this year of a United Italy:

And this flag incites crowds to cheer in a different form of celebration.   It's the flag for the Florence Football (Soccer to us!) Team:

 These flags are of great political and economic signficance. The Italian flag in the middle flanked by the official Firenze Fleur-de-lis and the flag of the European Union:

 But today was the day of flags!  All of Florence was on holiday to celebrate the Festival of Saint Giovanni, the patron saint of Florence.  And the pageantry included many bright and colorful flags representing the various Florentine neighborhoods:

The most exciting flags of the day were the flags carried by the official "flag throwers!"  The symbol and colors of Florence proudly displayed as they tossed these flags high into the air and then caught them.

Here's a short video of  the flag throwing.  I apologize for the side-ways picture.  New camera and didn't read the manual.  Just turn your computer screen sideways and then it's perfect.  :)



Yes, today EVERYONE had a flag!!

So, you see, Florentines' love their flags.  But of all the flags I've seen, this is the one that really made me pause and quietly watch as it waved in the breeze.  In this place for one brief moment, I was home.  It turns out, flags are important to all of us.