Every year on February twelfth, the small Italian town Taggia, is filled with fire. The tradition began in the 10^th century when the absence of government left coastal villages open to attack from pirates. The pirates terrorized the villagers; killing and plundering, they set the towns afire before moving on to the next town. As legend has it, when news reached Taggia of another devastating attack, a local character suggested a new strategy and set fire to the village. The approaching pirates, seeing the flames, believed the village had already been raided and passed by leaving them unharmed. Every year since, the Taggese have celebrated this victory with a big party. Lights are switched off and the darkened city turns gold with the light from massive bonfires set throughout. There is music and wine aplenty and the crowds weave through the narrow streets, following musicians who drift from level to level of the spiraled city, one fire to the next. The real excitement however, can be found in the larger plazas where local bravados prove their courage and skill by firing handmade rockets into the sky. The sporadic explosions light up the night and shower the streets with stars. The festival of fire is symbolic of cleansing and purification and is held in honour of the town’s patron saint San Benedetto, the legendary character whose cunning idea saved the village. Text & photos by Marianne McDade