Amidst exciting traditions, Walser culture, myths and rituals, on the first Sunday of October we welcome you to the devotional Flower Rosary procession.
But what is it all about? Let's dive into the history for a few moments and discover some interesting facts!
That of the Flowering Rosary is a long history dating back to the 17th century; the Walser inhabitants of Alagna would go, on this important day, to the Sesia Glacier in function of thanksgiving for the great and effective summer season spent in the mountain pastures and to remember, by praying, the souls of their deceased loved ones, who wandered there in the form of butterflies!
Another hypothesis suggests that this Celebration requested God's protection from the advancing glaciers of Monte Rosa, since the period was that of the Little Ice Age.
From 1689 until the year 1900, the procession was held every year, only to be sadly forgotten for a few decades. The dear Don Carlo had the great merit of restoring this tradition so that it could be handed down and lived in joy!
Let's take a step back in time and imagine the departure in front of the glacier, under the wall of Flua, seeing the candles light up in the lanterns and listening to the prayers sung in Latin and in Tizschu…
The people of Alagna are also joined by the Walser communities of Rima, Rimella, Carcoforo, Macugnaga and Gressoney: you can admire the beautiful and characteristic Walser clothing.
And there, immediately the descent begins: we start from the altitude of 1850 m to arrive at the Oratory of St. Anthony at 1385 m where Holy Mass and Te Deum will be held.
Along the way we will stop seven times; at each stop you can listen to the delightful singing of hymns and prayers and admire the offering of flowers to Our Lady.
The final part was always the most popular with the children; we would all snack together and leftovers would be thrown into the crevasses to feed the souls who lived there!
The more curious may wonder why this procession is called the “Flower Rosary.” Here is the answer!
This designation was chosen to recall the ritual of throwing mountain petals and flowers at each mystery.
Rituals, myths, prayers in Titzschu, Walser culture and a lot of love; an ancient tradition takes us into the past to make us experience unique emotions remembering the Walser ritual of the Flower Rosary!
