Ferragosto is officially 15th August, which is also the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary,
and here in the Cilento, it is celebrated on a grand scale.
Most businesses close for the whole month, excepting those that rely on the tourist trade, and fireworks
are a daily occurrence, as the countdown to the 15th begins.
Each paese celebrates on a different day in the build up to the day
itself and this evening it is Giungatelle's turn. We've had a week's
worth of 'countdown' firecracker salutes at 8.00 pm each evening & tonight the street illuminations have
been turned on, the brass band has marched up the main street & there have been some spectacular fireworks. From our vantage point at Il Sogno we are fortunate enough to be able to see the whole valley, although most of Case del Conte is tucked in at the foot of the mountain & therefore out of view. However, Giungatelle is in full view and we have been afforded the surreal feeling of watching the fireworks from above. At 8 o'clock we had the usual countdown firecrackers, set off in a string through the valley; we could hear both the brass band playing and the rest of the entertainment 'warming up' before the fireworks began in earnest. And boy, do the Italians love their fireworks.....not for them the insipid Catherine Wheel or puny Rocket which fails to perform; these are huge boxes, each cell triggering the next in a spectacular display of red white & green, combined with a cacophony of ear shattering bangs, which echo around the valley. After several minutes of awesome yet simple pyrotechnics, calm returns to the valley. The dying strains of the brass band can be heard and then silence as the villagers must be gathering together for their joint evening meal - everyone will have contributed 
something towards the meal and copious amounts of wine will no doubt be consumed beforemy blog, we can hear the strains of the open air disco starting up. Oh joy, another sleepless night lays ahead for us at Il Sogno.
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