Streets carpeted with elaborate designs from MILLIONS of flower petals. Artists work through the night. By morning: a gallery on the ground. Then the procession walks over it. The ephemeral nature IS the point — beauty that exists for one morning.
1. Infiorata di Spello (Umbria, Corpus Domini): THE finest — 1.5km of streets, 60+ designs. Work begins 9pm, dawn reveal 6am, procession destroys by 11am. FREE. 50,000 visitors. Go at 6-7am. 2. Infiorata di Genzano (Castelli Romani): Oldest (since 1778) — Via Belardi covered with 13 enormous carpets. 30 min from Rome. 3. Infiorata di Noto (Sicily, 3rd weekend May): Via Corrado Nicolaci — Baroque facades above, floral art below. Most PHOTOGENIC. 4. Bolsena (Lazio): Less crowded. Swim in the lake after. 5. Camaiore (Tuscany): Beach holiday + flower art.
How it works: Millions of petals sorted by color. Teams lay designs on chalk outlines through the night. Dawn: reveal. Procession: destruction. Artists WEEP — and start planning next year the same afternoon.