Definition of infiorata: decorated with flowers
written by Bill
Infiorata -: origin Italian, sostantivo femminile - Profusione di fiori disposti come motivo di festoso ornamento; festa floreale.
The word "infiorata" literally means "decorated with flowers" and this is exactly how the paintings created for festivals are made - using flower petals, earth, and sometimes beans or wood cuttings. This art form is ephemeral, meaning “lasting only a short time”. It comes from a similar tradition as “Madonarri”, meaning ‘painters of Madonna’, who are artists who paint with chalk.
Enhancing ephemeral arts cultural exchange for the Sarasota Int’l Chalk Festival with flowers and sand has been a long time passion. In 2012, Denise traveled to Italy, attending an Infiorata in Genzano di Roma and was taken by this ephemeral street art performed with flowers, which follows a similar tradition as Madonnari. This passion and interest, like a flower, grew. Finally, in 2022, she nearly brought five Infiorata teams to the festival… until Hurricane Ian changed that plan.
In August 2023, Denise was invited to Barcelona, Spain by the Coordinadora Internacional de Entidades de Alfombristas de Arte Efímero (translates to ‘International Coordinator of Ephemeral Art Entities’) to serve as an expert speaker representing the United States and festivals. There, she deepened relationships with Infiorata artists and leaders, resulting in invitations to attend and participate in a number of festivals in Italy and Spain and many other countries.
In June, Chalk Festival leadership and volunteers traveled to Italy and Canary Islands, a Spanish colony, to further relations with renowned infiorata maestros. With our home base in Bettona in the central Umbria region, we volunteered in nearby Spello, were honored by teams and maestros ins La Orotava on Tenerife in the Canary Islands and deepened friendships working on flower tapestries in Genzano di Roma on the front steps and inside the main church and with a very talented team. All the while, we scattered flower petals, volcanic sand and good will.
We also met friends who are flower artists from Gerano Italy and attended small Infioratas in our local Bettona community. A number of these maestro artists we visited with, and 120 more from 15 countries will perform with us in November in Burns Square, Sarasota FL USA.
Pictured are flower and sand tapestries that we actually touched and art-ed on from Spello, La Orotava and Genzano di Roma. The communities and the people who participate in the creation process is everything… stay tuned for more about the People of the Infioratas.
Spello, Umbria Region, Central Italy, known as Le infiorate di Spello
La Orotava, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, a colony of Spain, first festival in 1516, known as Infraoctava, using flowers on the procession route and sand in the esplanade.
La Orotava Volcanic Sand Tapestry
Genzano di Roma, just south of Rome, Italy, known as Tradizionale Infiorata de Genzano di Roma dal 1778 - 246th edition
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