The flowers of the Passion of Jesus: the Sepolcri in Lugnano in Teverina
Despite the quarantine, people in the little villages carry on with local traditions. Today we will be talking about the “Sepolcri”, special flowers characterized by atypical shapes, appearing in the darkness.
Alessandro Dimiziani, vice-mayor of Lugnano in Teverina, will introduce us to the Sepolcri and their ancient tradition.
Easter talks #2: the Sepolcri in Lugnano in Teverina
These flowers grow and blossom in the darkness from lentils, veccia or wheat seeds, which are planted at the beginning of the “Quaresima” period.
First, you must fill the flower pots with dirt, then put the seeds in and cover them with dirt again. Finally, keep them in a dark place until they blossom into an unusual horizontal shape.
During the Holy Thursday the flowers are used to decorate the altars of the Churches where the Eucharist is located. For this reason, these flowers are named “Sepolcri”.
In the past, these flowers were in all the Churches in Lugnano. Today, they are only positioned in the main Church: the beautiful Collegiata Church one of the most important Romanesque monument in the south of Umbria Region.
In Lugnano, during the Holy Friday, the locals celebrate the “Via Crucis” and the Sepolcri can be admired everywhere. This year, due the Covid-19, the “Via Crucis” hasn’t taken place and the Sepolcri are only kept in the “Collegiata Church”.
This ancient tradition has its roots far back, and this is why people used to go on a pilgrimage to visit the Sepolcri in the different Churches. The piligrimage was one of the most important moment of the year.
Farmers who grew these flowers challenged each other by growing the most beautiful varieties, which required a certain expertise.
Lugnano is located on a rocky hill. From it’s heights you can admire the Tiber river and the valley characterized by hectares of cereals, vineyards and olive trees from which is produced a highest quality of extra virgin olive oil. In Lugnano you can breath fresh and healthy air and enjoy its mild wheather.
You can also visit to the The Olive Trees world collection “Olea Mundi”, close to the village, which put together over 400 kinds of olive trees that come from all over the world, the museums in the Spazio Fabbrica, which represents the agriculture and industrial development time of Lugnano. You cannot miss the Church and the Monastery of Saint Francesco and the hiking paths around. We also suggest to stop at the local backery and meet Ferruccio’s family and taste their delicious cookies.
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