Saint Ranieri June 17
Ranieri degli Scaccieri was born in Pisa in 1118 from a quite well off merchant family. Although his family tried to make him study with the help of a priest, who taught him the Christian principles, Ranieri spent his life until the age of 19 giving himself to a frivolous life, playing music with the lira and living a carefree life.

One day Ranieri met a hermit, Alberto from Corsica, and was so impressed by him that decided to change and lead a virtuous life, following his master, Jesus. At 23 Ranieri gave all his riches to the poor. One day Ranieri had a vision and decided to go to Jerusalem, where he lived as a pilgrim for thirteen years, living with other pilgrims, eating only twice a week, and began to become known for his miracles.

Back in Pisa in 1154, Ranieri went to live in the same monastery, of San Vito, where he had met Alberto. He became famous for his habit of giving holy bread and water, which operated miracles, to those who asked for it.
To Pisa residents, he was already a saint during his life. Ranieri died on 17th June 1161 and only one year later a followers of his wrote his biography. In 1632 Saint Ranieri was elected the patron saint of Pisa.

During the translation of Saint Ranieri's body to a new chapel in 1668,
a big celebration took place with an Illumination of the city, according to a previous tradition. Now every year, all buildings along the Arno river are lit with thousands of small candles, about 70,000 of them mounted on frames, which reflect in the river water, creating and enchanting, unique scenery. It is called the Luminara, and takes place the night between 16th and 17th June. The celebrations continue with the Palio di San Ranieri, a regatta where four boats (for the four city districts) compete and at the end of the race one of the rowers has to climb a cable to the top of a ten metre mast and grab a banner. The winner will receive a couple of ducks!

www.calendario-di-santi-patroni-e-citta-d-italia.com/en_Pisa.html

Luminara di S. Ranieri

This event takes place on the eve of the patron saint’s feast day (June 16) and transforms the lungarni into a phantasmagoric fairy-tale setting. The architectural details of the palaces – windows, cornices, balconies – the parapets of the river and the bridges glow in the reflected light of over 70,000 ‘lumini’ (small glass lamps burning oil or wax) while thousands of lighted candles float on the waters of the Arno. Sham architecture (‘machines’) and a firework spectacle at the Cittadella Vecchia make this event, which dates back to 1688, even more fascinating.
In that year (on March 25th) the urn containing the mortal remains of Saint Ranieri, patron saint of Pisa, was placed in the Cappella dell’Incoronata in the Cathedral (thereafter dedicated to the saint). The Luminara, or better the Illumination of Pisa, as it was called around the 19th century, has been held every year since then, except for a few interruptions. The custom of celebrating in the city with the lighting of fires, bonfires and explosion of gunpowder is documented as early as the 15th century and a real ‘illumination’ seems to have existed before its official beginnings.

On June 14, 1662, Pisa celebrated the passage through the city of Margherita Luisa d’Orleans, wife of Cosimo II, with an abundance of candles, lights and cannon salvoes. As the centuries passed, the custom became ever more spectacular, in particular thanks to the regular use of the ‘machines’ which altered and transformed the actual architectural views along the Arno. A particularly magnificent edition of the Luminara was held when the King of Naples visited the city (june 16, 1836).
www.pisaonline.it/pisa/eventi/e-luminara.htm