Habemus Papam, Leo XIV

The white smoke rises above Rome, a roar of joy erupts from St. Peter's Square, the epicenter of an uncontainable emotion. Not mere faithful, but a human wave from every corner of the globe, united in a collective embrace, witnessing and experiencing a historical event. In their eyes, wonder merges with devotion, as their voices join in a chorus of prayers and hopes, invoking that precious gift that the whole world yearns for: Peace.

The choice of the name "Leone" resonates as a powerful echo of the past, evoking figures of Popes who guided the Church with strength and wisdom in tumultuous times. A weighty and glorious spiritual heritage that now rests on the shoulders of Peter's successor, called to take up the mantle in an era of epochal challenges, where the need for harmony and brotherhood becomes ever more urgent.

The incredible rapidity of the election, which took place on the second day of the conclave, amplifies the sense of the extraordinary moment. Almost a divine sign, an intervention that instills courage and confidence in a world marked by divisions and uncertainties. As the new Pontiff appears on the balcony, blessing the festive crowd, the palpable sensation of a new beginning fills the air, of a journey of hope that opens up for all humanity, a journey illuminated by the promise of Peace.

Religion and tradition: St Dominic Festival

The festival of the serpents takes place in Cocullo, a little village in the hearth of Abruzzo, on 1 May. The festival is held in honour of Saint Dominic abbot who is particularly revered in Cocullo, but also to Villalago , why is the patron saint of both villages in Abruzzo, Italy.. Every year in May is celebrated in Cocullo an ancient rite, today transformed into a festival sacred - profane . It all starts with the hunt for snakes at the end of March outside the village. According to local tradition, the saint taking off the tooth and donating it to the people of Cocullo, it did result in a faith that came to supplant the pagan worship of the goddess Angizia , protector of the poisons, including that of snakes. In fact Cocullo preserves two relics of the saint: a molar and an iron of his mule The festival begins with the crowd begins to pull teeth with the bell of the chapel of St. Dominic, in the church of the same name. According to tradition, this ceremony would serve to protect your teeth from diseases that may afflict them. At noon, the procession of the statue of the saint, invaded by snakes captured days before, starts from the church of St Dominic and continues through the narrow streets of the historic center. At the sides of the statue of the saint, two girls dressed in traditional clothes, carry on their heads a basket containing five loaves called chamberlains in the sacred memory of a miracle which St. Dominic. These breads are donated, to ancient law, to the holders of the Sacred Image and of the banner. At the end of the festival, the reptiles are returned to their natural habitat. Cocullo, Abruzzo, Italy 1 May