The town of Taggia, in the Italian Riviera, on the second Saturday of February reinvents medieval-Renaissance with a big parade in costume and with competing districts with themed locations.
An anniversary that is lost in the mists of time and remembers the terrible raids of the Saracens when Africa and Asia with their pirate boats arriving on our shores, looted, burned, destroyed houses, churches, raised, killed, abducted women and children, took away all before them.
According to legend, to prevent the looting of marauders St. Benedict one day, when they saw the sea Saracen sails, suggested to Taggia turning once inside the walls large fires to make believe to the pirates that the whole city had been invaded and burned by other predators. Thus discouraging them from a new landing and their imminent attack as in Taggia there was nothing more you can raid.
At the sight of all those fires, the flames, the dense smoke, the screams and gunfire that rose from behind the fortified walls of the trick, according to the legend, it worked very well. The Saracens do not landed, changed andandosi route to find another town to pillage in neighboring France. Since that day, every year, the second Saturday of February Taggia to remember the narrow escape and to thank San Benedetto "burn" your council.
Young and old people get up in the big squares woodpiles and give fire. Light up even the "furgari", large pieces of bamboo filled with iron filings and gunpowder.
The "furgari" give life to high waterfalls of colorful sparks. Throughout the night crowds of people wander the streets, the alleys Taggia, they stop in front of the bonfire lit furgari, listen to music. In the cellars to residents and many tourists we are offered dishes and local wine. It celebrates all together until dawn inside a city, back in the Middle Ages, burning to save themselves by the Saracens.