The Feast of San Lorenzo in Florence is the popular festival par excellence, on account both of its historical aspect (the Basilica of San Lorenzo was the city’s first consecrated church, by St. Ambrose in 393 AD), and of the city’s traditional bond with its co-patron saint. In antiquity the “Compagnia dei fornai fiorentini di San Lorenzo” (Company of Florentine bakers of San Lorenzo) distributed blessed bread free of charge to citizens on this day, followed by a feast of watermelons in the evening. Today in Piazza San Lorenzo bread has been replaced by lasagne with meat sauce, distributed free of charge together with watermelons at the end of the day of celebrations. The event also envisages concerts in the church square and, in the morning, the parade of the Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina through the streets of the city centre, with the participants in traditional costumes and the presence of the city’s banner.