Varese people throughout the world, around the Bonfire

Thousands of people, including the Mayor, Attilio Fontana, district councillor Raffaele Cattaneo, and minister Umberto Bossi, who is a regular visitor to this Varese tradition, were present yesterday evening in Piazza Motta, as the Saint Anthony Bonfire was lit. And there were not just the fans in Piazza Motta and Via Carrobbio, watching the fire yesterday; in addition to those passing the webcam installed by the group “Monelli della Motta” and broadcast on the home page of VareseNews, many people broadcast images from abroad, from the United States to Germany (like the reader from Cocquio who is studying in Heidelberg, who took this photo) to the United Kingdom. And there were those who could not see it because they were in hospital, or about to give birth: all stories that you told us after the broadcast event.

It was a great party for everyone, one that is being documented with the photos you have started to send us, and which will be included in a competition, just like last year. Over the next few days, the editorial staff will choose the ten best, which our readers can vote for. You can send your photos until midnight tonight, Sunday 17 January. The prize is a €50 shopping voucher for any “Tigros” supermarket.

Meanwhile, we already have a competition winner, Giuseppe Piazza, from Lecco. He was the first to send a photo (here on the right) of the bonfire, just 10 minutes after it was lit, from his iPhone: his prize is a basket of local products, offered by the association “Terra e Mani”, which, today, will be organising stands of producers in Via Carrobbio. The celebration for Saint Anthony is continuing today, with stands in the city centre, as well as other events, such as the blessing of animals, and the releasing into the air of balloons containing children’s wishes. For these, the webcam will be left on a little longer, to film the new emotions from these old traditions.