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The heart of Christ
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Heart of Christ
Fires are lit on the South Tyrolean mountains every year on the Heart of Christ Sunday in June. This day is celebrated in South Tyrol for the freedom of the people and has both a political and religious background. In 1797 Napoleon occupied Tyrol, and the South Tyrolean's pledged their faith to the Heart of Christ at the parish church in Bozen. Whenever they went into battle, they did this with the blessing of the Heart of Christ. In 1961, the day after Heart of Christ Sunday, June 12th, several bombs went off and caused a lot of damage. This day is known as the “Fire Night” and was to draw attention to the contempt of the rights of the South Tyrolean's. In 1984 the oath of the Heart of Christ was officially renewed by Tyrol. The battle for freedom and the heavenly intercession have grown together to be a political symbol.
