The Story of the Chicken Pitcher

This is a chicken pitcher. I bought it in Nove and love it. You may wonder why I have a chicken pitcher in my house. Here's the story of the tradition that drew me in.

Way back in the early Renaissance days, in Florence, the Medici family ruled the roost (pun intended). They were the wealthiest and most powerful family in the region but the rivaling Pazzi family were trying to assassinate the Medicis in order to take their power.

Giuliano Medici loved to throw festivals in the villages based around the family's numerous landholdings. The Pazzis plotted to kill him and his guards during the night of an upcoming festival (while everyone was drinking and making merry). So in the 1478, a festival took place in Gallina and the Pazzi's assassins snuck into town to kill Giuliano. When the assassins tried to cross the yard to kill Giuliano, the many chickens and roosters sitting in the yard started to make a racket, cackling and crowing so loudly that it woke Medici and his guards. They managed to capture the would-be assassins before any damage was done.

Giuliano was so grateful to the chickens that he threw another festival that same night. He ordered his artisans to make chicken-shaped pitchers to honor his life savers and gave them to villagers for good luck.

The tradition continues today as the pitcher is a sign of good luck and protection from trespassers and danger.