Gino di Fico

Stories of the blue district

From 1932, when, on the occasion of the celebration of the patron, parades- four districts (rioni) in competition- began to be held, Gino Borgioli, known in the village as Gino di Fico or Il Cintelli, had not missed a year: 90 years old and always on the floats or in the square. In 2009, on the thirtieth anniversary of the feast, he was also awarded and then, in August last year, he passed away. He was a real institution, a living history. The perfect example of how at San Michele, people parade from when they are just a few months in their mother’s arms, until they’re ninety years old. In 2011 his district, the blue one (rione celeste), decided to tell his own eye witness story of San Michele. The result of many after dinner chats, while in summer they prepare the parades. A tribute to the memory and they won, tied with the whites.
Blue is the district that has won the most: twenty-one times in forty-two parades. Many victories and many stories told: until 1974 with Arrigo Rigoli, who invented the San Michele, then together with Guido Lenzi, Fabrizio Buricchi and other young people. Among many parades, though, everybody in the district still tells of when in 1957 on the eve of the fair of Sant’Andrea and the arrival of the circus, the dsitrict took on the streets Gino “di Fico” who was the blockbuster, Turindo Drovandi, the bear and Amelia “the most beautiful gypsy ever seen.” “Gino”, Stefano Cinotti told, “had a wooden club and was so much into the role that Turindo, despite himself, got hit a few too many times”.

That year was the first grand slam for the blue district: it won both the race of donkeys (palio dei ciuchi) and the prize for the most beautiful parade. Every San Michele has in the end a background story to tell, something peculiar or with a particular implication. “Once”   always Stefano kept recounting years ago – a smoke bomb set a float on fire. It was/ immediately put out and looked like a planned scenic effect, but I can confess now that it was not like this. “Because of the faulty trigger of a firecracker someone saw a heavy steel wool wig jumping away from their head. The same heavy and more than forty centimetres high wig that one evening, a lady who had felt unwell due to low blood sugar, did not want remove it. “I have suffered so much wearing it she said and I don’t want to suffer again taking it off. “And of course in a challenge that has taken place forty-two times in seventy years there have been controversies. In 1957 it was said that the powerful Rigoli family, creator of the feast and deus ex machina of the district, won unfairly. In 1968 the appointment of the jury was entrusted to the outside. That was not enough though and in the years after even violent controversies would affect others. (w.f.)

Translate »