Arezzo, Italy's Christmas City

Beginning in late November, and continuing through the beginning of January, the Tuscan city of Arezzo becomes the Citta del Natale, the Christmas City. 

During those weeks, Arezzo is home to Italy’s largest Tyrolean style Christmas market. The market showcases the best of Austrian and German holiday crafts and foods, with a unique Italian accent.  

 A visit to the market begins with a stroll up Corso Italia where shops are decorated and exquisite glass ornaments, tree toppers, and holiday tableware are on display. 

Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo, at Christmas

Also on Corso Italia is the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve.  It is well worth a stop inside the 6th century church.

Not only is the historic church beautiful, at this time of year the crypt houses a beautiful life size Nativity.

Continuing into the historic center of Arezzo, the small side streets are full of Christmas decorations.

Piazza Grande, the large central piazza at the heart of the city, is where the market begins.

The piazza is ringed by Medieval and Renaissance buildings and the beautiful Vasari Loggia. Together they provide a very Italian background for the market. 

 Small wooden huts fill the piazza.  Each one displays holiday crafts or ornaments. There are lots of little Christmas trolls, wooden nutcrackers and bells, along with colorful hats and gloves.

 The piazza also holds many baitine del gusto (tasting huts).  Huge stacks of sweet or salty pretzels, spit roasted pork, goulash, stuffed potatoes, and Italian panini are for sale. 

Other booths focus on sweets - chocolate, pastry, apple strudel. It’s impossible to go hungry at the Mercato! There are plenty of huts selling beer and hot mulled wine too. 

There is no shortage of cafes in the loggia at the upper edge of the piazza. A stop for a cioccolato caldo con panna montata (hot chocolate with whipped cream) provides a chance to warm up and just the boost needed to keep going until nightfall.

Nighttime brings a whole new dimension to the Piazza Grande.  When dark falls, projected lights splash patterns on the ancient building facades, each with a different pattern. Above the loggia, ornate snowflakes on a blue background cascade down the walls.  The intricate patterns transform the piazza and are stunning.

 Leaving Piazza Grande, the next stop is the Prato, the large park up above town near the Duomo.  More wooden huts with crafts, ornaments, and food fill the market in the park. A display of large fallen stars leads the way to the Prato.   

The Prato also comes alive after dark when the Bosco delle Meraviglie (Forest of Wonders) sparkles with trees wrapped in lights. The Ruota Panoramica, a large ferris wheel, turns high above the booths and the kids flock to the giostra (carousel).  Il Prato is full of Christmas magic.

 With just an afternoon and evening in Arezzo, the markets in Piazza Grande and the Prato filled my time.  A full day, or better yet an overnight, would have brought my group of friends to the Father Christmas House (lots of kids lined up there) and a Lego house made of 2 million Lego bricks.  Next time!

A trip to Arezzo for the Christmas market made for a wonderful start to the holiday season. A big thanks to Giovanni and Loreal at The Tuscan Wanderer for whisking us away to Arezzo for a wonderful day.

Christmas in the Piazza

Piazza San Salvatore, Lucca

The historic center of Lucca has a medieval street plan which includes narrow streets, stone and brick buildings, towers, and a series of piazzas. The warmly colored buildings and the open spaces of the piazzas provide a perfect backdrop any time of year, but especially during the holiday season.

Each piazza in the historic center has some type of Christmas display. From traditional Christmas trees to oversize ornaments to metallic trees and old fashioned Christmas markets, the holiday vibe is everywhere. Overhead, the streets and piazzas have strings of lights and luminous stars. The ancient amphitheater has a projected light show on its curved walls, not to mention a giant Babbo Natale which delights the kids.

Piazza Napoleone is home to an ice skating rink and a Christmas market. The sounds of blades on ice, happy voices, and laughter accompany kids of all ages (and a few brave adults) as they skate around the rink. This is also where the carousel, decorated for the season, whirls kids and parents round and round.

Just beyond lies Piazza del Giglio, where the theater glows with lights and an oversize Christmas ornament lights up the piazza at night. The kids particularly like that they can walk through the ornament. As for the grownups, well there seem to be a lot of couples who stop inside for a photo or a kiss.

This year a group of artists were invited by the city of Lucca to create unique expressions reflecting Christmas themes. Their creativity fills the squares, streets, and even stretches to underneath the historic walls. Many of their creations are non-traditional or abstract, bringing a new sense of fun to the season. Pictured below: a recycled Christmas tree made entirely of plastic in Piazza Scalpellini and a very abstract tree, by Francesco Zavattari, which anchors a holiday chocolate market in Piazza Guidiccioni.

Piazza San Giovanni hosts a modern take on a woodland forest. Designed by local artist Emiliana Martinelli, it is edged with LED lights that cycle through a range of colors. Quite a contrast with the ancient church as a back drop.

Piazza del Duomo is host to one of my favorite installations. Designed by Michel Boucquillon and Donia Maaoui for the Alessi design company, this 18 foot high metallic tree, decorated with large round ornaments and a star at the top, is red on one side and silver on the other. During the day it reflects the surrounding buildings and at night it glows with reflective lights.

In the center of Lucca, the church of San Michele provides the backdrop for the largest Christmas tree in town. Locals turned out for the tree lighting ceremony on November 25th, a fun start to the Christmas installations throughout town. Under the loggia just across the square is a life size precepe (nativity scene). In Italy, nativity scenes include whole villages of people and this one is no exception. The figures are the work of the historic Giovacchino Marchi company, makers of nativity figurines since 1930.

Not all of the magic happens above ground. Underneath a section of the wall is a modern fairyland of snow and stars, another work by Francesco Zavattari. It is an unexpected surprise when taking the shortcut under the walls out into Lucca beyond the center.

Cold nights, bright lights, and Christmas magic - a perfect time for a walk through Lucca.

Piazza San Frediano

Firenze at Christmas: Lights, Sparkle, Magic

It is hard not to compare Christmas this year with last year’s holiday in Italy. Hands down, this year wins! In 2020 the holiday came with increased COVID restrictions which prevented travel between cities. That meant no trip to Firenze (Florence) to marvel at the Christmas decorations (a small thing in light of the more serious issues associated with the pandemic, but still, one more small loss). A little bit of sparkle would have been most welcome at the end of last year!

As of mid-December 2021 no such restrictions on travel are in place. Firenze is aglow and welcoming visitors. There are precautions in place, including a requirement to wear masks outdoors in the main piazzas during certain times (I actually witnessed local police enforcing this rule). And while there were definitely crowds when I visited in early December, by Florentine standards they were fairly modest. Best of all, Firenze at Christmas is as magical as ever!

By day there is un sacco (a whole lot) of things to see and do. I started my day in Firenze with a lunchtime stroll through the Mercato di Natale. The market sits in front of the church of Santa Croce and brings a blend of Italian and German holiday celebrations to the city. After a year’s absence, the 2021 market marked a return to tradition. Plus I enjoyed a German flavored lunch from one of the many stalls.

Many hours can be spent along the streets of Firenze peeking into shops filled with Christmas goods, seeing the elaborately decorated shop windows, and enjoying all the greenery that frames the doorways of shops, cafes, and hotels. (Some of my favorites below)

There are many other things to see during the day - the stunning terra cotta nativity in front of the Duomo, the nearby Christmas tree made even more beautiful by the back drop of the marble clad cathedral, happy kids riding the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica. In Firenze, Christmas is everywhere.

Life size terracotta figures make a simple but beautiful nativity scene outside of the Duomo. Note that there is no infant Jesus yet - he arrives Christmas Eve.

For a time out, I recommend a stop at Caffè Gilli for a pot of tea and a little dolce (sweet). Gilli has an old world elegance and provides the perfect setting to sit, catch your breath, and appreciate the Italian Christmas spirit. An added bonus is that the cafe offers a view of the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica and also has one of the best windows in town, full of whimsical Christmas chocolate creations.

As wonderful as the city is by day, it is at night that the magic really happens.

Once the sun goes down the streets sparkle with lights. A walk down Via dei Servi, from Piazza SS Annunziata toward the glowing lantern atop the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo), is a breathtaking sight.

Another not-to-be missed sight is a nighttime view of the ever-changing display on the facade of the Rinascente department store in Piazza della Repubblica.

For intense sparkle, head to the area around the intersection of Via Tornabuoni and Via degli Strozzi and prepare to be amazed.

The lights here are intertwined with gold and silver ornaments. They dazzle and seem to fill the sky. It is impossible to stand here and not smile.

I was in Firenze the night of the tree lighting, which meant there were some special celebrations. Drummers and flag bearers in medieval costume and a brass band attended the ceremony. Afterwards, a train load of Santas arrived and then wandered through town throughout the evening, delighting adults and children alike.

I love Firenze any time of year. But at Christmas, and especially this year, it made the perfect holiday excursion. Grazie Firenze!

Christmas in Italy 2020

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Lucca remained stubbornly in the Orange Zone of Covid restrictions. Shops were open, but restaurants and cafes stayed closed except for “to-go” food and drink. It also meant no trips to nearby cities to marvel at the decorations (how I miss seeing Florence at Christmas).

Via Sant’Andrea, Lucca looking very festive with the Torre Guinigi in the distance

Mild weather and a few days of being in the yellow zone made it possible to enjoy a holiday coffee with a friend

And then, a small Christmas gift. For 4 short days before Christmas, Dec 20 - 23, Tuscany became a yellow zone. Overnight cafes reopened and the piazzas and city streets once again seemed lively. This of course was a mixed blessing. It was a delight to sit in a cafe and sip a cappuccino with a friend, but the temptation to let down one’s guard also became a little more challenging.

With fears that holiday gatherings would lead to an increase in COVID spread, those 4 days came to an end on Christmas Eve as all of Italy was placed back into the red zone - maximum restrictions.

But that did not stop Lucca from displaying holiday spirit. The piazzas and main streets of the historic center are strung with lights, including those wonderful words from Dante pictured in last week’s post.

Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca. Christmas 2020

Doorways are decorated on homes throughout town. Shop windows are full of holiday treats and Christmas trees have appeared in piazzas.

The always charming Chiasso Barletti is once again the prettiest little alley in town. It’s also one of the best places to buy gifts with its artisan shops (think chocolate, ceramics, jewelry, hats) and Etta’s - the most wonderful English language bookstore.

Even though our holiday get togethers are limited this year (if not discouraged all together) it is still possible to wander the streets, gaze into windows, stroll down red-carpeted alleys filled with little Christmas trees, pop into churches to see the presepe (nativity scenes), and to enjoy the decorated doorways.

San Michele Church, Lucca at Christmas

And because the holiday season here lasts all the way to Epiphany on January 6th, the day when Old Befana arrives with gifts of socks and candy, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. Buon Feste!

Spending Christmas with Dante

 I love Italy year-round, through rain and shine, ordinary days and extraordinary ones, warm springs and crisp autumns, rare snowy days, and yes, even in this year of pandemic. But Christmas time remains just about my favorite season.

The holidays are pure delight in Lucca - streets aglow with lights, small alleys filled with trees and lined with colorful shop windows, whole buildings wrapped in lights or bows, skating rinks, decorated doorways and windows, nativity scenes large and small, Babbo Natale (the Italian version of Santa Claus) and Old Befana (the best witch ever).  From the simplest touch to the most elaborate display, it’s all magic to me.

This month, despite Italy’s very difficult year, Lucca is once again all dressed up for Christmas.  And, really, how can you not love a city where the piazzas are decorated for the holiday with poetry by Dante spelled out in lights?  Not visions of hellish infernos (though many might think that fitting this year), but rather words with eyes toward the stars and full of hope. In piazza San Frediano (pictured above) the message is: L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle (the love that moves the sun and other stars).

A short walk over to Piazza Cittadella, there is another quote from Dante: E quindi, usciamo a reveder le stelle. (and then, we go out to again see the stars).

In Piazza San Francesco the words drift above the large Christmas tree - Se segui la tua stella, non poi faillire glorioso porto (loose translation - if you follow your star, you cannot fail to reach a glorious place).

This year, Dante’s star filled words offer a perfect glimpse of hope and light. And isn’t that a perfect way to end this year?

I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. Buone Feste !