From the historical processions to the “Fochi” on the Arno, Florence pays homage to its patron saint with
a festival involving the symbolic places of the city. But Saint John is also
an anniversary shared by many Italian realities, including bonfires, processions, music and
popular traditions.
On June 24, Florence celebrates Saint John the Baptist, a central figure in its tradition
religious and civil. Italian Traditions tells an anniversary that belongs to history more
deep into the Tuscan capital: from the Baptistery to the processions that pass through the centre, up to the
Historic Football final in Piazza Santa Croce and the “Fochi” on the Arno.
The connection between Florence and San Giovanni has its roots in the Middle Ages. The first celebrations
in honor of the saint date back to the 13th century, when the anniversary began to become one of the
central dates of the city calendar. The Baptistery is dedicated to the saint, the “beautiful San Giovanni”
remembered by Dante, placed in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
The 2026 edition of the festival also takes on particular value for the 230th anniversary of the Society
of St. John the Baptist, an institution founded in 1796 and still committed today to the protection of
Florentine traditions linked to the patron saint. For the occasion, at the Museo de’ Medici, in the former
monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the exhibition “230” retraces the history of the Society
through works, memorabilia and documents. The exhibition, which can be visited until August 31st, accompanies
also the restoration of the historic terracotta statue of the patron saint, created in 1928 by the
Signa factory.
The heart of the day remains June 24th. The morning opens with the Procession of Homages and
Ceri, which runs through the center to Piazza della Signoria for the delivery of the Cross of San
John to the mayor. The performance of the Bandierai of the Uffizi precedes the passage towards
Piazza Duomo, where the traditional Offering of the Candles takes place. At 10:30 the Cathedral of
Santa Maria del Fiore welcomes the solemn Mass in honor of the Baptist, while in the afternoon
Palazzo Vecchio hosts the Golden Florin ceremony, the Municipality’s highest honor
of Florence.
In the afternoon, attention shifts between Piazza Santa Croce and the Arno. At 6pm the square hosts
the final of Calcio Storico Fiorentino, one of the most anticipated events of the day. The game,
preceded by the historical procession of the Florentine Republic, it brings together the colours of the neighbourhoods and gives
forms a tradition in which competitive spirit and civic belonging remain closely linked.
At the same time, the Arno becomes the protagonist with the Palio Remiero di San Giovanni, a regatta that
also includes the river in the celebrations route.
In the evening the festival moves to the Lungarni, with the Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia in the centre
of the appointment. Before the fireworks display, institutional greetings are scheduled and
the performance by the Ottoni Ensemble of the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. At 10pm i “Fochi di
San Giovanni” light up the sky above Florence. Donated for over ninety years by the Foundation
CR Florence, the fires remain among the most beloved traditions of the anniversary: an event that
Every year it brings together Florentines and visitors at one of the symbolic moments of the patronal festival.
The feast of San Giovanni, however, does not belong only to Florence. The anniversary goes through many
Italian cities, taking on different forms depending on the territory. In Turin, where the Baptist is the
patron saint, the celebrations take place from June 20th to 24th and culminate in the Square
Vittorio Veneto with music, shows, and fireworks over the Po River. The program unites
reenactments, events in museums, initiatives in the neighborhoods and the extraordinary lighting of
some installations by Luci d’Artista, the Turin exhibition of contemporary art that from
1998 transforms squares, streets and symbolic places of the city with luminous works.
In Genoa, the Night of San Giovanni, between June 23rd and 24th, maintains a deep bond
with the rites of the city tradition. The Ligurian capital celebrates John the Baptist, its patron saint for over
nine centuries, with the bonfire in Piazza Matteotti and visits linked to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo; the
the program continues the following day with the solemn Mass, the archbishop’s speech
to the city and the procession with the ancient brotherhoods up to the Ancient Port, where the
blessing of the sea.
In Cesena, San Giovanni becomes a great early summer festival. Until June 24th the center
citizen welcomes markets, shows, music, play areas, sports activities and popular symbols
such as lavender, garlic braids, sugar whistles and calls to the night of herbs and
witches. Monza, however, celebrates its patron saint with the first edition of San Giovanni Fest, from the 24th
as of June 28: the program combines children’s shows and concerts with a video mapping on the
facade of the Cathedral, designed to tell through light some passages of history and
of city identity.
From Florence to Turin, passing through Genoa, Cesena and Monza, San Giovanni continues like this to
mark the beginning of summer with celebrations that change from city to city. In Florence, however, on the 24th
June maintains a particular value because it is concentrated in the very places of its identity:
the Baptistery, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce, the Arno. It is here, between the morning rites and the “Fochi”
of the evening, which the patron saint’s day renews the community’s bond year after year
Florentine with its own history.
