A serenade under the window ... here is the Feast of May on Elba

A romantic custom is repeated every year in Sant'Ilario, in the villages around Marina di Campo and in other places on the Island of Elba ... and the young ladies of all ages thank afterwards preparing a cake.

Ever since I moved to the Island of Elba for "reasons of the heart" - now almost twenty years ago - I began to live it day by day and to know more closely its many wonderful aspects: people, places, customs, speech, food .... and I - coming from a big town - loved it even more.

One of the customs that I find most sweet and that strikes me year after year is the ritual tied to the Feast of the "May". In the tiny medieval village of Sant'Ilario, as well as in other places on the island of Elba, the night between April 30th and May 1st (for several hours) the village men move from window to window and balcony to balcony to sing a serenade to the "young ladies" of all ages. The song is called "May - Il Maggio" written many years ago by Ugo Soria, musician and founder of the Soria family, so numerous among the countries of Sant'Ilario and San Piero, to which belongs also my husband.

"As a spring flow ... you are loved tonight.

Miss ... are you awake? Do you come to the window?

This is a love song ... to awaken your heart."

Hearing sing and play these words in the narrow and dark streets, with the faint light of the moon ... brings you back in time ... when the young ladies didn't have Facebook or Whattsup .... and all opportunities to meet and write to boys were stolen moments. And this is even more amazing when you consider that men sing under the windows of "ladies" since these have a few months up to 99 years !!! Sant'Ilario is really a small village and we are lucky ... in other places more populated not all unmarried young ladies receive this tribute .... But here ... it's a real magic.

Sure, it's late at night when they end, and today are perhaps not many girls remain awake ... while we can imagine the anxious expectation in the years when this tradition was born. The thrill in seeing among the singers also your love ... and your enjoyment - shortly afterwards - of repaying that kindness in preparing a special dessert: the corollo cake.

This tradition, in fact, consists of two different moments: singing and the thanksgiving festival. In the days after the serenade, it is still customary today that the ladies come together in a party of the country and prepare a cake to be served to men. You know ... in the old days was certainly one of the few occasions "official" to bring the boy of their heart a slice of their cake ... under the eyes of everyone.

Ancient and modern times. Today much has changed ... but I still love waiting for the choir under the window of my daughter, because in the city it surely doen't happen ... and I think already to the cake that I will prepare with her tomorrow, looking for the recipe on the Internet.


Listen to the song of May on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b96pc5Bw1TM

A special THANK YOU to @MirkoTesei for his photo for Sant'Ilario