Colours of Summer

The peacefulness of a summer evening is gently descending on the square of the village of Gharb. The sunlight is waning slightly now although its warmth still hangs in the air. But here, in the thick of summer, when the countryside has lost most of its bloom, a splash of fresh colour has been created, a carpet of flowers, right on the church’s doorstep.

This, the annual Infiorata, is laid in Gharb every year as part of the preparations for the village feast and this year will be held on 5 July. First organized by the Gharb local council in 2003, following a twinning project with Gerano, a village on the outskirts of Rome in Italy, the Infiorata is in fact an old Italian tradition. So successful has it become that recently it was also held in Victoria as part of the Notte Gozitana.

A different design is prepared every year; this is never revealed prior to the Infiorata’s creation, to keep it a surprise. This year’s design was created by Odette Camilleri.

Usually 45 x 14 feet large, the artist is helped by the Mayor and other local volunteers – ranging from young children to adults – in the laying of the flowers. Only flower petals – normally from carnations and roses – and leaves are used in its preparation.

Finally, in the evening, the holy procession with the statue of the Visitation passes over the carpet of flowers; afterwards, children are allowed to run through and play around with the petals, scattering splashes of colour, drifting in the summer evening.