Sportella festival, typical Rio nell'Elba cake festival

For the past centuries, on Easter Monday, the Sportella Festival has taken place in the Hermitage of Santa Caterina in Rio nell'Elba: the "sportella" is the typical Rio nell'Elba lovers' cake.

According to the tradition, on Palm Sunday all the young men had a basket of flowers taken to the girl they loved, with also a a "ceremito" inside (a "ceremito" is a "male" cake that today is practically no longer made, but that a firm from Elba is trying to bring back ); if the girl accepted it, which meant she accepted the proposal of love, she thanked the man by having a blessed sportella taken to him on Easter Sunday.

The following day, Easter Monday, all the young members of the comunity, the adults, the priest and the band set off on a procession and headed for the Hermitage of Santa Caterina