UNIFIED BY SOOT

Celebrating the Legacy of Chimney Sweeps at Spazzacamini

By: Lindsay Trumble, Chimney Doctors

It’s time to soot up!

This is your notice to grab your brushes and march alongside fellow chimney sweeps from all over the world for a soot-tacular experience. Rarely is a trade as niche as chimney sweeping celebrated with the kind of enthusiasm you would expect at a state fair. Yet, as you step into the small town of Santa Maria Maggiore, you are struck by the abundance of chimney sweep memorabilia scattered throughout, all leading to the town’s very own Chimney Sweep Museum!

Every year on the first weekend of September for the past 41 years, the town transforms into a sea of black top hats, with voices ringing out the Italian word for chimney sweep: “Spazzacamini!” Chimney sweeps from around the world arrive, each proudly wearing their unique uniform and country’s flag, with a few smudges of soot on their faces.

Over the two nights of the festival, the town square fills with sweeps joyfully reuniting with distant friends and warmly welcoming newcomers into their embrace. With each new friendship made, a pin and patch are traded to proudly display on your uniform and to be cherished for years to come. The joy and compassion felt when offering your pin to another new friend is a heartwarming feeling that stays with you forever.

This celebration of chimney sweeps, both past and present, old and new, is truly a unique experience.

Spectators, both young and old, wander through the crowd of chimney sweeps, hoping to be among the lucky few to receive a sooty embrace – marked by black smudges – or even a special trinket to remember the experience. By Sunday, each chimney sweep is dressed to proudly represent their trade and home country in a parade that will make you feel like a star. With chants of “U-S-A” and “Spazzacamini” filling the air and an overwhelming number of photo requests from the 30,000 spectators, it is an experience that rivals walking the red carpet. The parade concludes with a spectacular display of chimney sweeps atop the rooftops, proudly waving the Italian flag.

Throughout the festival, I could not help but notice the remarkable sight of people from various parts of the world all with diverse backgrounds coming together in such unity, setting aside all cultural differences to celebrate as one. This celebration of chimney sweeps, both past and present, old and new, is truly a unique experience. I am proud to have represented the United States, and I encourage every sweep to attend at least once. Just one visit can spark a passion for this tradition, and I challenge you to prove me wrong!

To learn more about the event, join the Spazzacamini Americano Facebook page and reach out to John Pilger at chimneyman@aol.com. ■