CATENE D’ORO E COLTELLI D’ARGENTO
Short seminar on the symbolic values and uses of wild herbs in local tradition and concert/presentation of an audio CD

Circolo Culturale Contadino di Colognole, Pontassieve (Florence, Italy)
June 21st, 2025

Activities developed by La Leggera as part of the Tramontana Network project, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme.

In Tuscan tradition, the summer solstice has been celebrated not on 21 June, but on 24 June, the feast of St John the Baptist — a night long considered magical, rich with ancient sacred and folk rituals. As part of this tradition, the event included a short seminar on the harvesting and symbolic uses of wild herbs such as St John’s Wort, walnut husks for nocino, and flowers for the preparation of “St John’s water.”

To accompany this moment of seasonal transition, La Leggera hosted a performance by Placida Staro (vocals and violin) and Ricardo Tomba (vocals and percussion) from Monghidoro, who presented their latest audio CD, “Golden Chains and Silver Knives” — a powerful sonic journey through the raw, emotional landscapes of Apennine life, where music becomes both memory and ritual.