John Paul II in Saint Peters Square.
This is the Pope's building where the Pope speaks from the
open window.
On the Epiphany or La Befana
January 6,1999, our little town of Sacrofano brought some gifts to the Pope. Every year
one town in our region is chosen and this was our year. There was a cortege
from Castel Sant'Angelo to Piazza San Pietro and the people of Sacrofano
wore their traditional medieval costumes. There were also 30 horses
as our town is "the capital" of horse in our region. The Pope blessed this cortege and all the people
from his window and then the authorities of the town were received in the
Palazzo Apostolico to deliver the gifts to the Pope.
Several citizens from Sacrofano brought three presents to the
Pope they included an embroidered tablecloth more than six yards long, a wooden
sculptured horse and a painting by a handicapped girl. Three citizens
of Sacrofano were the three wisemen. About 500 people from Sacrofano took part in the procession. The Mayor along with several other town officials were admitted in the Pope's apartment and were
received by a high prelate but not by the Pope himself.
Here with the mayor and the deputy mayor, Geminiano Tomassetti e Patrizia Nicolini.
You
can see one of the presents the carved wooden horse
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La Befana, 1999 more pictures
La Befana