By Paolo Sabbatini Recently, I spent a few days in the territory which was the home of ancient Etruscans, whose capital today is the beautiful city of Viterbo, about 100km from Rome. I was invited to spend a few days in the magical residence of Eugenio and Annamaria Benedetti, philanthropists and culture connoisseurs: being a cosmopolitan couple they have been living all over the world, including of course in Egypt, but they have made the land of the Etruscans their home. In fact, Eugenio is a descendant of Empedocle Gaglio, the Founder of the Italian Hospital in Cairo. Anyway, on September 2, we watched the historical procession in Viterbo, with over 300 figures and effigies wearing period costumes, paying homage to Santa Rosa, the patron saint of the city. The Bishop of Viterbo had invited Coptic Orthodox Bishop Barnaba Suryani, Representative of Pope Tawadros II in Italy, to attend the historic occasion. We were sitting in the Church, next to the municipal and religious authorities of the city. However, the most important event occurred the next day, the evening of September 3: the pageant of "Macchina di Santa Rosa". This pageant involves a lofty, artistically-made tower with lights, weighing about 50 quintals, surmounted by a statue of Santa Rosa, being carried in procession through the streets of the historic centre of Viterbo, on the shoulders of more than 100 porters. The event originated in 1258, when Pope Alexander VI promoted the transport of a canopy, which gradually transformed into an imposing tower made out of various materials, always carried on the shoulders of its porters, named "Facchini di Santa Rosa". The procession is a good example of the preservation of traditional cultural heritage, promoting the city and area where it belongs. In fact, the event recently gained UNESCO recognition and has been placed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That evening, in the Piazza del Municipio of Viterbo, sitting on the chairs arranged at our disposal by the Mayor, we waited for this imposing building to appear before our eyes, across the street, shining with the light of a thousand candles, a beacon in the dark night of the city, since all other lights had been turned off. After a moment of stunned silence, the thousands of people in the jam-packed streets could hear only the calls of the head of the "Facchini di Santa Rosa" who had embarked on this strenuous journey, full of danger: if one out of the hundred porters loses control, he will jeopardise the stability of the whole tower and imperil his fellow porters. This journey, beyond its requirement of pure physical prowess, is really a journey of faith. The concepts of physical and spiritual strength, will, determination, friendship among porters make up the spirit of the Viterbo people. I felt ecstatic to have watched such a sui generis spectacle and I sincerely hope to make all my twenty-five readers take note of it and why not gather together in Viterbo for September 3, 2019, God willing.
