Pietro, a young student from San Marco in Lamis, in the Foggia area, is only 17 years old, but he is already an expert fracchi driver.
The youngest residents are responsible for making the fracchie, real fire torches - made from tree trunks, mounted on iron wheels and transported lit - which illuminate the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows on Good Friday.
A moment of great historical, religious and cultural value for the entire community.
It is an ancient rite that history dates back to 1824, the only one of its kind in the province of Foggia.
The young Pietro in his free time, what he has left after attending school and studying at home, dedicates himself to anti-tradition.
"Practically - he says - I grew up among the fracchie. I am the son and grandson of art. A passion born at the age of 9 when I started making them. It is a brand of this country, which is right to pass on".
The fire torches can weigh up to several quintals and are of various sizes.
About thirty of them illuminate the Good Friday procession.
Eight are large, with a length between 10 and 11 metres, the same number of medium ones between 7 and 8 meters and then other fracchie of different sizes "It takes about a month of work. We select the mainmast - reveals the 17-year-old - from among the logs that are supplied to us, we divide it into segments depending on the diameter which we assemble with iron circles in an increasing manner, so as to make the cone take shape. The same is placed on the trolley with iron wheels. We insert other trunks inside the cone in order to close the fracchia also using very thin and dry wood and we make the trolley safe".
On Good Friday, wood is set on fire and transformed into torches to illuminate the path of the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Pietro also talks about the importance of making this tradition known in schools.
"It's a real art - he states proudly - which fascinates everyone and which it is right to make known to the younger generations. It's a moment of celebration for everyone. A unique emotion".
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