Petals, Devotion, and a Cultural Bridge: Sarasota Meets Gerano in Ephemeral Heritage Art
In a heartfelt exchange of tradition and art, the town of Gerano, Italy, and the Sarasota Int’l Chalk Festival have woven a connection across continents through the delicate, fleeting beauty of ephemeral heritage art. What began in November 2024, when the Gruppo Infioratori Gerano was invited to Sarasota to create a stunning floral masterpiece of their sacred Madonna del Cuore, came full circle in April 2025. This time, it was the Sarasota team’s turn to join Gerano in their centuries-old infiorata, a living tradition of painting the streets with flowers.
For the people of Gerano, this is not just an event—it is an act of devotion, an offering of art to honor the Madonna del Cuore, a miraculous painting that has miraculously called Gerano home since 1729. For Sarasota, it was a chance to immerse in a deeply rooted cultural practice, to learn not from research but from hands stained with petals, from hearts opened in welcome.
Harvesting Beauty: The Hillside as a Community Canvas
The journey began with a pilgrimage of its own—into the hillsides surrounding Gerano, where the prized albero di giuda (Judas Tree) blooms in vibrant lavender and red. Families and friends gathered in the early morning light to harvest these wildflowers, gently filling six large burlap sacks with blossoms that would soon become the foundation of intricate flower carpets. (Video at:
https://youtube.com/shorts/PNKdkJKRI74?si=oLvYZYyx5x8SI0R4 )
The next morning’s mission was Ginestra, a bright yellow wildflower that is also called “Christ’s Whip”. In both cases, flowers were stripped off the branches into netting that is also used for olive harvest. (Video at:
https://youtube.com/shorts/jMyhXGb5o1k?si=VxpW9z7wRYY8RmIs )
This was no commercial operation. With Signora Silvia Cacciaguerra, it was a joyful, multigenerational ritual, filled with camaraderie, coffee, chocolate, and shared sandwiches. The harvested blooms were then spread to air out, their transformation from wild beauty to sacred art just beginning.
Painting Cobblestones, Peeling Petals, Planting Art
The heart of the infiorata lies in its layers of care. Following a spirited lunch on the balcony of Michele Cacciaguerra’s palazzo, where lasagna, sausages, and sweets fueled both body and spirit, Denise was honored to be invited onto Sofia Cacciaguerra’s infiorata team.
As night fell, the team gathered to peel petals, separating the most vivid colors from each flower with meticulous precision. Under the guidance of Michele, Sofia, Mariano, Clara, and Giulia, Sarasota’s team leaned into the delicate art of extracting beauty. Children joined eagerly, showing off their English skills between handfuls of petals, embodying the joy of heritage passed through generations. The process of petaling, known locally as spetalo, is as much about human connection as it is about preparing the flowers.
With petals ready, attention turned to the cobblestones. The streets of Gerano became a canvas, where designs were first marked in chalk, then outlined in gesso paint. Some artists worked freehand, others used grids or stencils, each method adding to the rich tapestry of techniques. Rain delays pushed the work into the early morning hours, but spirits remained high. (Video at:
https://youtube.com/shorts/aCvMCu9O274?si=w2z4oAS4bROl1c2V )
Infiorata as a Verb: Painting with Petals
An infiorata is not only the actual floral carpet—it is also a verb, to make it. By 4 AM, Denise’s mother joined in from another of Michele’s balconies, helping Team Sofia complete intricate borders with ginestrata (yellow), albero di Giuda (lavender/red), and bosso (green boxwood). A white floral centerpiece needed depth—so Denise stepped into the center and added gentle shadings of orange and yellow to illuminate it with color and care, with guidance from Sofia.
Nearby, Team Mariano, led by Michele’s son, created a breathtaking interpretation of the Santa Maria Maggiore, the Papal Jubilee Basilica, where he drizzled petals to paint the sky and frame a radiant Judas Tree branch. Both carpets—crafted by Michele’s children—were the last to be completed, just before dawn. (Video at:
https://youtube.com/shorts/biQMcfDCefw?si=OP2dP3stQRBwEbF- )
The sacred procession was near…
More than 280 years of tradition in one nine panel infiorata, including:
Rosone con Cuore
Rosette with Heart
by Cristian Greco
Nome di Maria
The Name of Mary
by Aubriete Latinl… Ave Maria!
Carità - Senso e valore alle pratiche del pellegrinaggio
Charity - Meaning and Value in the Pilgrimage
by German Infiorata team Kath. Pfarrgemeinde St. Jakobus Karlsdorf
Pellegrini di Speranza
Pilgrims of Hope
by Ans Giovanile Cheranos
Sofia Cacciaguerra
The shell at the base of the design is a symbol of pillage… This type of shell was carved into the side of buildings and served as wayfinding along pilgrimage routes
Apertura della Porta Santa. Prima volta del carcere di Rebibbia
Opening of the Holy Door. First Time at Rebibbia Prison
by Autorio Laudonl
Omaggio alla città di Subiaco Capitale Italiana del Libro 2025
Tribute to the City of Subiaco, the Italian Capital of the Book 2025
by Ricardo Santori
Canonizzazione Carlo Acutis
Canonization of Carlo Acutis
by Daniele Censi
Newest and youngest verified, individual will soon be declared a Saint… known as the Internet saint
Santa Maria Maggiore. Basilica Papale Giubilare
Santa Maria Maggiore. The Papal Jubilee Basilica
by Mariano Cacciaguera
Lunotto "Giubileo 2025"
Lunette "Jubilee 2025"
by Giovani Infioratori
Glanmarco Latini
Sacred Procession: Walking on Flowers, Connecting Cultures
By dawn, Gerano’s streets had transformed into a living gallery of ephemeral art. Every inch of the loooong route was carpeted in floral masterpieces. The culmination of these efforts was the sacred procession of the Madonna del Cuore.
As the procession began, balconies, windows, and porticos overflowed with villagers and visitors, awaiting the Madonna’s arrival. Carried on a platform by ten devoted bearers, the miraculous painting processed gently over the petal-covered streets. Children dressed in satin robes led the way, embodying purity and tradition.
A blessing of the Madonna concluded the event, met with shouts of “Ave Maria!”, celebratory smoke bombs, and the ever-reliable village marching band who kept appearing at just the right moment. Sarasota’s delegation, embraced by the Gerano community, witnessed the profound beauty of tradition as spectators and participants.
(Video at:
https://youtube.com/shorts/wyUwqPXTLRk?si=BKDi8HrY6aes9ALx )
What began as a cultural invitation evolved into a heartfelt bond. The exchange of ephemeral art between Gerano and Sarasota is not just about flowers or festivals—it’s about shared humanity, about the fleeting yet eternal connection that comes from creating beauty together… the children, young adults, parents, grandparents and great grandparents.
The petals will fade, but the friendships, and sense of tradition and shared devotion will continue to bloom in both Gerano and Sarasota.
Grazie di cuore, Gerano.