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A Step in Time: The Dancing of the Giglio

Special to CBSNewYork.com
By James H. Burns

Beginning in the next few days, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see one of the most unusual, and time honored traditions, in our summer festival season:

Seeing a small legion of men lift a six thousand pound tower on their shoulders.

The pillar is called a "giglio," paying tribute to San Paolino di Nola (Saint Paulinus).

Franklin Square Giglio
Photo: Bob Maida

Giglios, and "the Giglio lift," have been a part of New York life for over one hundred years. There are two more major Giglios coming up in the next few weeks.  The OLMC Feast (Festa Del Giglio OLMC Feast), in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (at North 8th and Havemeyer Streets), will occur on varying days between July 8th and 19th.  The Giglio Di Sant' Antonio of East Harlem, will occur between August 6th to 9th, on Pleasant Avenue, between 114th and 116th Streets.)

On the first day of summer, on the last Sunday in June, roughly seventy gentlemen carried  a seventy foot high Giglio, several hundred feet, at the annual Saint Catherine of Sienna Church's Family Festival and Feast, in Franklin Square, Long Island. The Giglio was a gift from the Long Island  branch of the Sons of San Paolino.  The Sons' local president, Tony Passalacqua, explained that such festivals' origins go back over sixteen hundred years, to when San Paolino was first canonized. His devotees (in Nola and Brusciano, Italy, and beyond) included lillies--for which the Italian word is"giglia"--in their laudations. In the early 1900s, some of the emigres to America, in New York, from the same general region in Naples (near Mount Vesuvius), continued what had become a centuries long legacy, and developed their own celebrations.The huge construct evolved from what was once a vast display of the flowers.

Each gala often selects what they call a "number one Capo," the gentleman saluted among all those who contribute to the project.

Franklin Square Giglio
Photo: Bob Maida

Franklin Square's honoree was Mitch Farbman, who has been involved with Giglios since he was twelve years old, in 1958.  He has been the director of communication and marketing for many such festivals, including the annual celebration in East Harlem.

"My grandfather," said Mitch Farbman, "MANY of our grandfathers, came from Brusciano, in Italy, and settled in East Harlem. They helped begin the giglio festivals.  My grandfather died before I was born. I learned about the giglio and "the lift"  from my uncle."

"I'm half Jewish. My father and uncle were the best of friends.  I grew up with, and know the importance of heritage! We all feel that It's important to keep this alive, for the next generation, When I look out and see so many friends, and FAMILIES...this is one of the greatest days of my life."

The thousands in attendance, applauded.

Franklin Square's Giglio was designed by John Spampinato and Peter Buonaiuto. In August, Spampinato went to Brusciano to study their Giglios and took numerous photos. Buonaiuto had gone to Italy, two years earlier, on the same mission,

When Spampinato returned to New York, they began creating the architecture for this year's pillar:  in fact, a moving monument.

Spampinato says that it took a crew of eight men, drawn from an active base of twenty volunteers, two weeks to build the giglio, under his supervision. The front of the structure--the giglio's "face"--featuring lovely religious artwork, topped by a statue of the Saint--was borrowed from the Sons of San Paolino  in East Harlem and came from Brusciano.

The steeple rested on a platform eight feet and seven inches on each side.

Franklin Square Giglio
Photo: Bob Maida

When it came time to raise the Giglio, members of  the Sons of San Paolino  took their places, walking into the spaces between twenty-four wooden planks extending from the platform, six beams to each of the four flanks. They braced their shoulders under the heavy lumber, usually three men to each "slot," with those on the corners sometimes linking hands, for more support.

The Giglio, which previously had been secured by tension wires, and ground stanchions, was now being raised six inches or more off the ground,only by the resolve of this sturdy affiliation.

First, the Sons of San Paolino TURNED the movable monument, and then they walked it hundreds of feet, as well as making the configuration actually seem to bounce up and down!

The Sons repeated their series of maneuvers across the next hour-and-a-half.

Their final carry lasted for a little over two minutes.

How is such a remarkable effort accomplished?

"With a lot strength, and stamina," said one of the Sons.

"No," said his friend. "With a lot of faith."

___________________________
James H. (Jim) Burns) is a writer/actor living in Long Island.

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