The trees of life
In Italy, small villages represent the backbone of the nation. The strength of these places lies in the sense of community and solidarity that was preserved with care throughout the centuries. Over the last few years, however, this sense of togetherness has been often threatened by political and social changes.
And yet, in the south of Italy, every year, one specific village celebrates the renewal of the founding pact that gave birth to its community. This is Accettura and its almost 2000 inhabitants nestled in the mountain range of the Dolomiti Lucane, 72 km away from Matera.
The ritual, called Maggio, represents the marriage between the trunk of a Turkey oak –also known as “Maggio”– and the top of a holly. Taking place during the days of the Pentecost, this symbolic union between the two trees is dedicated to the patron saint of the village, Saint Julian.
Celebrations still faithfully follow the structure of the ancient arboreal pagan rites of rural communities and are aimed at bringing into the village the fertilising spirit of Nature, which awakens with the arrival of spring, thus regenerating the collectivity that participates in the cyclical rebirth represented by the union of the two trees.
Elders, young people and emigrants alike come together to celebrate the ceremony, transforming into a single body committed to the success of the propitiatory rite: the seal affixed to the pact between generations.
The Trees of Life is the account of a suspended time, of a cathartic liturgy made of well-defined anthropological codes and an immateriality linked to an emotional, magical and almost intangible sphere.