(PRIMARY SCHOOL LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO CLASS IV B AND IV C - CAMPI BISENZIO) Click on the arrow to advance

EVERYONE KONWS THE LEGEND OF KING ARTUR AND THE SWORD IN THE ROCK, BUT ONLY A FEWPEOPLE KNOW THAT IN THE MIDDLE AGES, THE MINSTRELS WERE INSPIRED BY THE KNIGHT AND SAINT GALGANO’S STORY.

GALGANO WAS BORN IN 1148 IN A NOBLE FAMILY AT CHIUSDINO, IN SIENA, TUSCANY

SINCE HE WAS A CHILD, GALGANO WAS VERY GOOD AT THE WEAPONS. WHEN HE WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, HE STOLE THE SWORD FROM A SLEEPING KNIGHT AND HE WAS ABLE TO CUT A NEAR BEECH BY A SINGLE BLOW.

THAT KNIGHT WAS AMAZED AND HE WANTED TO BE HIS TEACHER. HE TAUGHT GALGANO TO DEFEND WEAK PEOPLE AND TO FIGHT THE INJUSTICES.

WHEN GALGANO WAS 16 YEARS OLD, HE WAS READY FOR THE INVESTITURE. HE WAS CLOSED IN A CELL, WHERE HE WAS PRAYING AND FASTING FOR SEVEN DAYS.

THEN THE TEACHER SAID:«NOW THAT YOU PROMISED, YOU CAN HAVE THIS SWORD.» GALGANO FALLED DOWN ON HIS KNEES, CRYING AND HE HAD IN HIS HANDS A VERY BRIGHT SWORD. ON THE BACK OF THE TEACHER, TWO VERY WHITE AND SPLENDID WINGS APPEARED. GALGANO UNDERSTOOD HIS TEACHER WAS ANGEL MICHAEL, THE ENEMY OF EVIL. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INVESTITURE, HE HAD A VISION. THE DOOR OPENED AND IN THE DARK, THE TEACHER’S VOICE ASKED HIM:«WILL YOU REMEMBER TO BE ALWAYS RIGHT AND NEVER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR STRENGTH?» «YES, I WILL, MY LORD!» GALGANO SOLEMNLY PROMISED.

SINCE THAT TIME, FOR TEN LONG YEARS, THE YOUNG KNIGHT FOUGHT DOMINEERING AND INFIDEL PEOPLE,

BUT A DAY, WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO KILL AN INFIDEL, HE LOOKED AT HIS EYES. GREAT SADNESS AND GRIEF CAME IN HIS HEART. WITH GREAT STRENGTH, GALGANO FLUNG HIS SWORD AGAINST A ROCK AND IT PENETRATED IT NEARLY TO THE HILT.

THE JUTTED OUT LOOKED LIKE A CROSS. JUST IN THAT PLACE, ON MOUNT SIEPI, IN 1180, GALGANO BEGAN A NEW LIFE. HE FOUNDED A LITTLE COMUNITY THAT WAS GIVING A SHELTER TO THE WAYFARERS. SOMEBODY SET HIS LITTLE PARISH ON FIRE, BUT THE WOLFS WERE HIS FRIENDS, AS ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE WOOD, SO THEY PUT THE ENEMIES TO FLIGHT. click on the sword

NOWDAYS, EVERYONE CAN SEE THE SWORD IN THE ROCK, THAT LOOKS LIKE A CROSS, IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROUND PARISH. THAT CROSS MEANS FORGIVENESS. (PRIMARY SCHOOL LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO CLASS IV B AND IV C - CAMPI BISENZIO)