Sommo – colonia is in festa today as the 16th of November is the Festa of San Frediano – their patron saint. There is a phrase used in the area which says ” San Frediano – la neve al monte e al piano” meaning that snow generally falls on the area during the third week in November but no sign of snow in Barga today.
In fact it was a perfect windless, sunny, autumn day with believe it or not a butterfly floating round the outside of the church up at Sommocolonia (check image 9) but yes if you did look closely enough you can see a light dusting of snow on the mountain behind the village. The first snow of the year had arrived.The air was crystal clear and sharp – that is under the fires started for the traditional chestnut roasting in the streets to celebrate the San Frediano Festa
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How Sommocolonia ended up with an Irish patron saint is something of a mystery as Saint Fridianus (Italian: San Frediano ) was apparently a prince of Ireland who became a hermit on Mount Pisano after going on pilgrimage to Rome.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Remarkable for sanctity and miracles was St. Fridianus (560-88), son of Ultonius, King of Ireland, or perhaps of a king of Ulster (Ultonia), of whom in his “Dialogues” (III, 10) St. Gregory the Great relates a miracle.”
He was appointed bishop of Lucca by the pope. During his episcopate, Lucca was attacked by the Lombards. He may have founded a group of eremetical canon priests; these canons merged with the Canons Regular of the Lateran in 1507. – source Wikipedia
