Every year from April 24 to 27, we have a plants exhibition in Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca. It takes place for the fest of St. Zita. The round square looks marvellous with all the colours of the flowers....
Some beautiful stalls where it's possible to buy several kind of plants...
...a little bit of history...
Saint Zita is the patron saint of maids and domestic servants. She is also appealed to in order to help find lost keys.
She was born in the village of Monsagrati, not far from Lucca where, at the age of 12, she became a servant in the Fatinelli household. For a long time, she was unjustly despised, overburdened, reviled, and often beaten by her employers and fellow servants for her hard work and obvious goodness. Her faith had enabled her to persevere against their abuse, and her constant piety gradually moved the family to a religious awakening. One anecdote relates a story of Zita giving her own food or that of her master to the poor. On one morning, Zita left her chore of baking bread to tend to someone in need. Some of the other servants ensured the Fatinelli family was aware of what happened; when they went to investigate, they claimed to have found angels in the Fatinelli kitchen, baking the bread for her.
St. Zita died in the Fatinelli house on April 27, 1272. It is said that a star appeared above the attic where she slept at the moment of her death. She was 60 years old, and had served and edified the family for 48 years. By her death, she was practically venerated by the family. After one hundred and fifty miracles wrought in the behalf of such as had recourse to her intercession were juridically proven, she was canonized in 1696. She is buried in the Basilica di S.Frediano in Lucca and her mummified body is shown every year on April 27th.
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