A December Visit to Florence

The weeks leading up to Christmas are always busy – this year seems more so than ever.   There have been holiday lunches and dinners, aperitivo evenings, fancy teas, holiday markets, even Santas arriving on Vespas.  Many visitors have arrived in the last few weeks, perfect timing to see Lucca all dressed up for Christmas and for us to enjoy some of the season together.

Amid all the December happenings, I managed to fit in a few days in Florence.  Florence is always a treat at Christma and this year was extra special as I was there with a friend who was experiencing her first holiday season in Italy.  

We only had two days in the city and a short list of “must do” things.  Mostly, we wanted to walk through the city enjoying the holiday lights, gaze at the window and shop decorations, have a couple of good meals, and do a little holiday shopping.  We also had tickets to visit the Fra Angelico exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi - it was outstanding and good kick-off to our weekend.

Walking through town, the windows were fascinating.  From upscale stores like Prada to pastry shops and small local merchants, the variety of displays made for a lot of stop and go and oohs and ahhs when walking through town.  One of my favorites was the edible window display at Caffè Gilli, below.

And the Christmas trees!  The one at the Duomo, set against the back drop of the the Cathedral and the Baptistery, was simple and beautiful. Different, but just as wonderful, was the one in Piazza Repubblica, which happened to be just outside the Hotel Pendini where we were staying. Located beside the carousel, it was even better at night when the tree’s ever changing colors were on full display.

Stopping at Gilli for an evening aperitivo was the perfect spot for viewing all the night-time happenings in Piazza Repubblica, including the fun carousel and the illuminations which danced across the facade of the Rinascente department store.

A morning visit to the annual Christmas Market, in the piazza in front of Santa Croce Church, was a must do. The market is German style but with an international personality in both the products and foods.  Booths from a variety of countries including Poland, Hungary, Germany, England, and Scotland offered everything from holiday décor and ornaments to warm scarves and mittens to classic foods.   And while the scent of all those foods was tempting, we saved our appetites for an after-market Sunday lunch at nearby Trattoria Cibrèo.

One of my favorites places to visit at this time of year is the Farmacia Santa Maria Novella.  This historic pharmacy, established some 800 years ago by Dominican Friars, once was known for its medicinal herbs and potions. It was once the place to get anti-plague remedies.  Today, no longer run by Friars, it still sells herbal products and potions along with wonderful lotions, soaps, perfumes, potpourri, liquors, and candles.  The setting is historic, full of old wooden cabinets, marble floors, and elegant decor.  It also houses the small chapel of San Nicolò with its beautiful frescoes. At this time of year, the Christmas decorations are gorgeous.  It is a wonderful place to shop for gifts. 

When the sun goes down, the show really begins.  First are the lighted street decorations which vary from one small neighborhood to the next.  The area around Palazzo Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni are especially bright and shiny. 

The beginning of the video projected on the Palazzo Vecchio

And then there was the number one thing that we came to see – the Florence Lights Up Festival, also known at F-Lights Up. 

This annual event involves a series of moving images projected onto some of Florence’s iconic structures.

There were too many to see in just a couple of nights, but the two we managed were fantastic.  The first was at the Palazzo Vecchio where the moving images were inspired by Florentine arts and craftmanship.  (video on two_parts_italy Instagram )

The second was a projection on the Ponte Vecchio, a series of images which turned the whole span of the bridge into art.  Standing along the river to watch the display was mesmerizing.  The images were simply amazing and uniquely Florentine!    The displays continue until January 6th, when the holiday season officially ends. ( video at two_parts_italy on Instagram )

Buon Natale and Buone Feste to all !

The Basilica of San Lorenzo at Christmas

December Markets

Palazzo Sani’s Meraki Market

Lucca is a busy place in the weeks leading up to the winter holidays.  Along with the tree lightings, street music, holiday processions, and Christmas concerts, there are a number of temporary markets. On the first weekend of December I counted 5 different markets. It was a full day visiting all of them!

The first stop was in Palazzo Sani for the Meraki Market.  This annual market was filled with handcrafted goods by local artisans.  It was the perfect place to shop for ceramics, hand painted paper goods, beautiful knit or felted hats and scarfs, wooden objects, and pretty linens - all within a centuries old palazzo. 

 Next stop, Piazza Anfiteatro. This large outdoor space was once the site of a Roman Amphitheater.  These days it maintains the original oval shape but is ringed with shops, restaurants, and wine bars.  A large, modern Christmas tree sits in the center of the piazza and, on the first weekend of December, visitors to the chocolate market filled the piazza.

Chocolate in just about every form possible made an appearance.  There were several booths offering  cioccolata calda con panna  (hot chocolate with whipped cream).  Others offered chocolate bars, discs, truffles, and fruits dipped in chocolate.  There were special shapes and lollipops, even chocolate “salami”.  Not a chocolate lover?  Other options included ciambelle (Italian donuts rolled in sugar), crepes, and mulled wine.  A little something for every taste.

The third market was in Piazza San Frediano.  The small piazza was filled with wooden huts, very much a traditional Christmas market look. As always, the backdrop of the church with it’s wonderful mosaics, added to the scene.

For sale were a variety of foods (necci!), drinks, jewelry, and crafts. There was no shortage of Christmas decorations, including presepe figurines. Though small, this felt like the most authentic and local Christmas market - definitely my favorite!

The smallest market filled Piazza San Giusto.  Less a holiday market than an arts and crafts fair, this was a good place to shop for gifts - turned wood pens, colorful decorative pieces, art, and jewelry.

Piazza San Giusto craft market

The last market was the French Market which filled Lucca’s largest piazza, Piazza Napoleone.  This is the city’s largest Christmas Market and it will remain open throughout December.

A taste of a French Christmas in Lucca

The booths are all decorated for Christmas, but, as this is a French themed market, the signs say Joyeaux Noel (instead of the Italian Buon Natale) and the products are traditionally French.  It is like stepping into a neighborhood in Paris during the holidays.  The market has a little bit of everything, from French linens to lavender scented soaps and lotions. 

There was a definite emphasis on food at this market.  One booth is a French bakery with croissants, baguettes, quiches, and delicate French pastries.  Another is filled with French cheeses.  One sells just about every type of French cookie imaginable.  There is a booth filled with spices, teas, and coffee beans.  If you need some French jam or honey, that is here too.  It is impossible to go hungry at the December French Market, but totally possible to go home with a bag full of goodies.

Hats and scarfs?  There is a booth for that. Jewelry? Check. Hot chocolate or hot mulled wine? Of course.  And for a little time out, watch the Carousel in the piazza which is decorated for Christmas and filled with happy children.

Wandering the December markets in Lucca made for a fun weekend filled with holiday spirit.

A quick note: I recently realized that I had a lot of email from readers sent to a gmail account. That account was acquired in setting up the blog but it is not one I ever use, in fact I forgot it even existed. So, if I haven’t answered an email you sent me it is simply because I never saw it! I promise to respond if you use this email address - jobartram@comcast.net

Presepe, An Italian Christmas Tradition

One of the Italian Christmas traditions that I look forward to each year are the presepi*.  I can’t explain exactly why, but I find the Nativity Scenes fascinating. Is it because my mother set one out every year (how many times did she search the house for a missing baby Jesus)?  Or is it because of the beautiful Native American ones I learned to appreciate living in NM?  Maybe it is just a holdover from a childhood fascination with doll houses and miniature furnishings. Certainly part of my fascination is simply that the Presepi combine history, tradition, art, and incredible craftsmanship to form an evocative expression of the Christmas story. Whatever the reason, I always search for presepi in December when they appear in homes, churches, shops, and outdoor spaces.

A terracotta presepe in Florence

 In the US, the nativity scenes I grew up with were usually simple – the 3 main characters, a stable, perhaps a shepherd or two and a couple of animals.  Not so in Italy!  Here a traditional presepe is more likely to include a whole host of villagers and a town expanded well beyond a simple stable.  Many are set in elaborate landscapes complete with hills, streams, water wheels, houses, little fires, and lighted buildings.  The figures are beautifully carved (or molded), expressive, and representative of the many people who bring life to a village.

Most Italian cities will have at least one publicly displayed Presepe. Today, some are streamlined and modern, such as the one in Lucca’s Piazza San Michele designed by the Italian design company Alessi or the beautiful terra cotta one in Florence. But the classic ones are quite elaborate. Most remarkable were the ones I saw several years ago in front of St. Peter’s in the Vatican (below).   

 Even more amazing is a Presepe Vivente – a living nativity such as the one Lucca hosted recently. Watching it was an immediate transport into the past.  Over 100 participants, dressed in historic costumes, participated in a procession through town.  There was a serene Madonna holding a baby (not a real one in this case) accompanied by Joseph. Villagers carried food, coal, and firewood.  There were soldiers, prisoners, and Kings.  Some of the villagers led a donkey; costumed men rode in on horses.

Persons of all ages participated, from little children to elderly adults, all in costume.  They were accompanied by musicians and flag bearers as they made their way through the center of Lucca.

When the procession ended in front of the Church of San Martino, Mary and Joseph took their place in the stable, surrounded by costumed villagers.  Even the angels made an appearance while the narrator told the Christmas story.  

And whether a person celebrates for religious or traditional reasons, or does not celebrate Christmas at all, the historical and religious meaning is an important part of understanding Italian culture.  

What a beautiful way to begin the holiday season. 

*(Presepi is the plural form, the singular is presepe or presepio). 

The Italian Holiday Calendar

This Babbo Natale, much like Santa Claus, greets people as the enter the Caffè Santa Zita in Lucca

The holiday calendar in Italy is a little different than the one found in the United States. In the US, the holiday season begins in late November with Thanksgiving and then moves through a multicultural series of celebrations – most years Hanukkah comes first, then Winter Solstice, next is Christmas, followed by Kwanzaa, and ending with New Year’s Day.  We may sing about the 12 days of Christmas, but by December 26th many Americans are back to work with only a day off coming for the New Year. The American holidays have a blend of religious, cultural, and family significance and tradition. Individuals may celebrate none of the holidays, only one, or any combination. Thanksgiving and New Year’s are US public holidays.  Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa are not. But what about Christmas? It would make sense that, as a religious celebration, it would not be a public holiday in the US and yet it is – well, sort of. The required separation of the religious and civic holidays was maintained by the 1870 law that created a federal holiday on December 25th. It is in fact, by US law, not exactly a Christmas holiday at all but rather the “December 25th holiday”. No such legal gymnastics are required in Italy!

Piazza Napoleone, Lucca was one of the first places to find holiday decorations this year

Lucca’s largest Christmas tree, in piazza San Michele, arrived in late November

Here in Italy there is no Thanksgiving to mark the start of the holiday calendar.  Another difference is that there seems to be much less multiculturalism in how the holidays are celebrated, at least in the smaller towns.  In Lucca, I have not seen Hanukkah or Kwanzaa celebrations, and those days are not considered public holidays, though there are certainly families who celebrate them.  It may be different in the bigger cities, but here the big holiday celebrations are all about Christmas.

The official start of the season is December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  In Italy it is both a religious and a public holiday, a duality that is not at all unusual here.  Traditionally, that day is when the Christmas tree goes up and the Presepe (nativity scene) appears. But much like in the US, the season unofficially begins a bit earlier.   

First to appear are the decorated shop windows..  We may not have a big Macy’s display window here in Lucca, but the small shop windows are wonderfully decked out.  Walking through town to see the Christmas windows is one of my favorite holiday activities.

By the 4th week of November Lucca’s streets are hung with tiny white lights and overhead decorations. Larger holiday installations appear throughout the city and displays of stars, snowflakes, or other symbols of the season are projected onto the sides of the city’s medieval buildings. 

Other holiday events in late November / early December in Lucca include the opening of a temporary ice-skating rink, the start of the Christmas market in Piazza Napoleone (this year’s market features French products), and the lighting of the big Christmas tree in Piazza San Michele.

A big crowd turned out for the tree lighting ceremony

Throughout December the seasonal magic continues with concerts and street music, processions, Presepe, special markets, children’s activities including the Casa di Babbo Natale (Father Christmas’s house), and all the lights and sparkle that one little Italian Medieval town can muster.   Add in the various social events with friends and the whole month will be filled with activities. We’ll rest in January!  

It all comes to an end on January 5th and 6th with the celebration of La Befana, the Christmas witch.  On the evening of the 5th, Befana (perhaps several of them) will wander the historic center of Lucca.  On the 6th, Befana arrives for the children in Piazza San Francesco. Descending from a roof top (with the help of a crane and the fire department), she brings stockings full of candy to the children.  It is always fun to watch her arrival, surrounded by some very excited children. My own Befana keeps watch in my apartment throughout the season.

It’s December – let the holiday magic begin wherever and however you choose to celebrate the season.  

Late November in Lucca

It’s hard to believe that November is nearly over, but a blast of very cold air this past week served as a reminder that winter is on its way.  After such a mild October and early November, many of us were scrambling to dig out our sweaters, hats, warm scarves, and gloves.  No complaints though – the colder temps are appropriate for late November and help to set the mood for the upcoming holidays.

Soon these fall gourds will be replaced with Christmas decor

 Here in Italy the 4th Thursday of November is just another workday.  But most of the Americans, residents and visitors alike, plan some type of celebration to mark Thanksgiving. Though the celebrations will have an Italian twist.  After all, how many of us here have ovens big enough to roast a turkey?  Or dining rooms that will hold a large group for a formal dinner?   Certainly not me with my miniscule kitchen, small fridge, and my tiny oven that is just barely more than the Easy Bake I had as a kid.  Still, we will gather with friends in small groups in homes or larger groups in restaurants to give thanks.  And we will catch up with other friends throughout the week.  In a new twist for me, this year I will share a fully catered meal with a few friends. It will seem strange to not be making my mother’s turkey dressing or preparing dishes to take to a big potluck dinner.  But my “usual” Lucca Thanksgiving group has scattered, some to new cities, some back to the US, some to travel adventures. And so it is time for something new.   My one nod to my usual American tradition will be baking my sister Patty’s Apple-Cranberry pie.  Luckily the local fruit and vegetable market managed to get some fresh cranberries just in time this year!

And of course there are lots of reasons to be thankful. My family, friends who come to visit (some of whom are wise enough to visit in November and December), some friends living here who’ve faced health issues this year but are now on the mend, the everyday joys of being in Italy, the gift of travel this past year, Lucca’s always vibrant culture, and the many blog readers who have reached out this year, come to visit, or written the emails that make my day. I appreciate you all!

One great thing about late November in Lucca is the special events that take place. The most unusual was a flash mob organized for the filming of a TV ad for next year’s Sanremo Music Festival.  The musicians were from the Boccherini Institute, a local music academy.  The singers were lovely as they added their voices to the orchestra playing a well-known song, Piazza Grande, made famous by Lucio Dalla and a past winner of the Sanremo competition.  (video on Instagram at two_parts_italy).  

Another event, Il Desco, took place this past weekend.  An annual celebration of foods from the Garfagnana, it is always a fun event.  The stalls are great places to buy the season’s new extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground chestnut flour, dried beans, and grains.  Bring a big shopping bag, because there are also artisanal breads, local honey, many different cheeses, and lots of meat products (think salami, guanciale, sausages, lardo).  Packaged gift trays too!

 The longest line at Il Desco was the one I look forward to the most – the line to order necci  – those warm and fragrant chestnut crepes filled with a variety of fillings (make mine fresh ricotta and honey please). 

Definitely worth the wait!

 Late November also brings the start of the Christmas season in Italy. With no Thanksgiving to delay its start, Christmas begins to sneak in just after Halloween. Over the past week we’ve watched as lights and decorations were hung high above the streets in the historic center of town and as big, bright, and colorful installations were placed in the piazzas. There were some fabulous holiday shop windows unveiled too and the start of the Christmas Market.  (More photos of Christmas in Lucca next week)

The weekend’s big event was the lighting of the huge Christmas tree in Piazza San Michele.  Quite a big crowd turned out, despite the chilly weather, for a glimpse of the tree lighting. There is a short video clip posted on Instagram (two_parts_italy).  A nice glass of red wine in a cozy bar did just the trick to warm us up afterwards.

A crowd gathered to watch the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree

I wish you all I wonderful Thanksgiving no matter where you may find yourself this week. 

Buona Festa di Ringraziamento!