Feast of May

Campo nell'Elba Feast of May, is an ancient practice held in Marina di Campo and its neighbor villages. On the first of May, it is habit to sing a traditional romantic serenade to the beloved to marry.On the night of April 30, waiting for the new month, spring and love ritual, which have always kept alive the hopes of our mothers and grandmothers, are celebrated.

The event takes place in two stages, the first one on the night of April 30, in which the male protagonists (cantors), after the usual meeting of a couple of dozen singers of Campo nell'Elba, animate the night performing the 1st May Chant, accompanied by the melodious music of the traditional serenade made to the marriageable girls. Armed with guitar, saxophone and accordion, the men play for the whole night under the balcony or the window of the young girls.

Walking through the village's lanes in the night, the traditional choir creates a truly evocative atmosphere, with its serenades under women's homes. The fractions of Marina di Campo, where generally the rite is celebrated, are: Porto con le Scalinate, Piazza del Monumento, Via Marconi, Vapelo district, Piazza Pertini, Zona degli Albarelli, Via Pietri, Piazzetta Torino, Zona delle Fornaci, Lungomare Nomellini, Viale degli Etruschi, Chiuso Torto, Zona dei Mulini, La Foce, Loc. Filetto and Bonalaccia.

As habit, when voices are a little tired, just a few sips of Elba wine are enough to resettle the vocal cords. The Song of May is known with two lyrics: one sung in Marina di Campo while the other one in the village of San Piero.

Ancient stories in town remember how this cultural event, handed down from father to son, began.

"There in the bakery of Ottavino,
every night well together,
with flugelhorn and euphonium,
they re-experience  the May... "

These were the verses of one among many ironic satires of popular culture in Campo nell'Elba. Witnesses tell that it was in the 30s by the bakehouse in the location Alzi. At that time, in the countryside existed many bakeries to bake bread and the classic Corollo, a speciality of Campo nell'Elba.

In our case, the place  was of one of the many funny popular characters: Ottavio Retali. The topic was the Serenade of May, tradition which is felt and carried forward by all the fractions with satire that often followed each other.

"That's the Nail completely crooked
He heads to the port
It is saying: Come on ... courage!
That we must sing the May ... "

The origin of the melody and the verses is lost in time. It is a solemn, impressive, Gregorian chant, but also a bit 'flat'. It has alway been told by the old men, that the author of May was a priest: the verses have a bit of both sacred and profane signs.

In fact, there are several popular songs composed over the years in the town, which are different in each village. Here are the main verses of the 1st May song in Marina di Campo

"Already late its career
It finished the freezing winter
And  the burning ray of Phoebus
Melted the ice and dispelled cold.
You're the white lily
Jasmine and pink mallow,
You are the beloved wife,
who made him fell in love.
So! Calm down little damsel
That the happy moment is yet to come,
in which soon your faithful lover
will guide you with chaste hand.

May 1 Sanpierese

"This is a love song
which gets straight to the heart"

The tradition continues nowadays, despite it was interrupted during World War II, from 1940 to 1945.

Immediately after the war, a young group of people of Campo nell'Elba organized a choir, in the Alzi area and its surroundings. The following Sunday, they invited their beloved to the afternoon dance and, with the gig, they picked up the corolli, which were traditional cakes baked by the kind maidens in gratitude for the dedicated love song.

Tradition wants that the serenade begins at the stroke of midnight, the ideal atmosphere. The folk song is sung to all the girls still to be married, and goes on until dawn.

In the beginning, the Sunday dance was made in Rustichello, inside Ms. Zecchini's property, which was set up for the occasion with flowers, festoons of broom, myrtle and heather that Spring offers.

The dance with its simple and melodious accordion, was accompanied by dances. During the 1st of May Feast, corollo was cut and eaten , drank Moscato Passito (sweet wine typical of Elba similar to the nectar of the Gods), and sometimes (why not!) among the conversations, new loves were born, that often lasted for life.

Today the party has undergone some changes, but it still takes place on Sunday after the serenade in the town square of Campo nell'Elba.

The event, accompanied by live music and traditional dancing, starts with the cutting of corolli, which are prepared for the occasion by the young girls. The Corolli are then evaluated by an expert jury which awards the best corollo.

The traditional Feast of May is an old charming and romantic celebration, which is held in two stages: the first takes place on the night of April 30, in which boys sing the serenade to the young girls still to be married; the second day of celebration is held on the following Sunday, with the presentation of the corolli in a square setted up with music and dances.

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