From November 22, the heart of Lucca will light up with magic: a sky of stars will stretch over the most beloved streets, while plays of light and mapped projections will redesign the most evocative palaces and churches. Palazzo Ducale, Piazza San Michele and Piazza dell’Amphitheatre will become sets of light, with drawings and projections that will enhance its architectural profiles and historical symbols.
The luminous creations of Emiliana Martinelli will embellish Piazza del Giglio and Piazza San Giovanni, while Michel Bouquillon, famous Belgian architect naturalized from Lucca protagonist in the loggia of Palazzo Pretorio and in the Amphitheatre, will propose a new version of his Bark for Christmas and a contemporary nativity scene inspired by the landscapes of Lucca.
The poetic and visionary lines of Francesco Zavattari will instead illuminate Piazza Cittadella.
The beating heart of the festivities will be, as every year, Piazza Napoleone, which from 22 November to 28 December will host the French Christmas Village, a market with a European flavor that, between wooden houses and scents from across the Alps, will invite you to discover quality gastronomy and crafts. The market will be open on Mondays from 15 to 20 and every other day from 9.30 to 20. By popular demand, the historic horse-ride will also return, a symbol of the Christmas tradition and an essential stop for families and children.
Alongside the French market, the city celebrates its identity with the Lucca markets, animated by the artisans and traders of the territory. There will be numerous opportunities to discover the markets and fairs that will color the city: from the Forte Market in Borgo Giannotti on November 23, to the artisanal market promoted by Cna and Confartigianato in Piazza San Frediano from December 6 to January 6, up to the market of agricultural producers of Coldiretti in Piazza del Giglio on 7 and 13 December. The Arts and Crafts Market will also return to Piazza San Giusto and Piazza XX Settembre on the dates of 29 and 30 November and 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14 December, together with the extraordinary fair of Sant’Anna on 14 December and the promotional fair of the Portone dei Borghi on 21 December. The month will close with the traditional antiques market, December 20 and 21, and with the Hobbyists' Meraki Market at Palazzo Sani, which will animate the weekends of 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22 and 23 December.
There will be plenty of greedy events, such as Puro Cioccolato Festival in Piazza Amphitheater from 5 to 8 December, and initiatives dedicated to sustainability and reuse, with the two markets of reuse at Don Baroni scheduled for December 7 and 14.
Piazza San Francesco is also preparing to live days of music and conviviality. On December 13 and 14, the square will come alive with markets and live concerts. The notes will resonate between the historic buildings and the former convent, where local artisans, artists and producers will propose their works in a welcoming and evocative atmosphere.
On 21, 22 and 23 December the shops in the center will also remain open in the evening for the last gifts of Christmas shopping.
Among the initiatives are also those organized by the Natural Shopping Center city of Lucca of Confcommercio, with the participation of the Chamber of Commerce Tno, or: the 6 December Snow Dream: the Dance of the Trampolieri, traveling through the streets of the historic centre; December 7 A near perfect Christmas, mime and clown between Via Fillungo and Piazza San Frediano; December 13 Tune Tines trio. Gospel music in Piazza San Frediano; always on December 13 in Borgo Giannotti shows for children, creative workshops from morning to afternoon; December 14 Bianco InCanto: the Traveling Dream of Christmas, velocipedes and stunts through the streets of the center; January 5 Befana in Piazza San Frediano.
“This Christmas – comments the councillor for trade and production activities Paola Granucci – is also an opportunity for valorization for our operators, artisans and traders. Lucca Magico Natale welcomes local and international realities in a dialogue between tradition and novelty, to offer an experience that combines quality, taste and community spirit. We are very pleased to have reached the fourth consecutive year.”
On the Walls of Lucca, from November 23, Christmas will take shape in the new Ice Park, bigger and more spectacular than ever. Going up the ramp that leads to the Caffè delle Mura, among illuminated trees and sparkling lights, you will reach a real ice village where you can skate watching the city from above. The track will be open every day, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on holidays, with special events such as the arrival of Santa Claus on December 24, New Year’s Eve on the track and the Befana festival on January 6.
Also for November 23, the great lighting of Piazza Anfiteatro is scheduled, with the performance of the Band of Marlia.
From 6 December, in Vicolo San Carlo, the little ones will be able to experience the magic of the Christmas Factory and the House of Santa Claus, including free workshops, music and fun.
Not far away, in the square Don Franco Baroni, from November 22 to December 8 will land the Jurassic Park, the educational exhibition dedicated to prehistory, with life-size dinosaurs, play areas and projections for the whole family.
Music, always the soul of the city, will accompany every day of the holidays: concerts of greetings in churches and cloisters, choral performances and special appointments until the night of December 31, when Piazza Santa Maria will turn into the stage of the traditional New Year’s Eve, followed by the New Year’s Concert at the Teatro del Giglio on January 1.
And like every self-respecting Christmas in Lucca, the tradition of the cribs is back.
From the historic nativity scene dressed in Santa Maria Corteorlandini, which can be visited from 8 December to 6 January, to the artistic nativity scene of the Legnaioli in the church of San Benedetto in Gottella, up to the suggestive family nativity scene at the Baluardo San Colombano and the poetic Fiat Pax in the gunboat of San Frediano. In Ombreglio di Brancoli, from 8 December to 12 January, the nativity scenes will be set up outdoors and in the gardens of the village, in an itinerary that will culminate on December 15 with a village festival made of mulled wine, necci and homemade cakes. The national museums of Lucca, with the path Le Nativiti Diptinte at Villa Guinigi, will instead invite you to rediscover the spirituality of Christmas through four works from different eras.
“The culture in Lucca – says the Councillor for Culture Mia Pisano – is a bright thread that combines art and tradition and the calendar of this edition is the confirmation. The magic of attractions for young people, contemporary installations and historical nativity scenes coexist in a path that invites you to rediscover the city with new eyes, between emotion, beauty and memory. For this edition we managed to give life to the vicolo San Carlo: right there you will find many workshops for children and the house of Santa Claus, open throughout the Christmas period. We are also proud to propose the New Year of Lucca in Piazza Santa Maria. The theme will be the 90’s and we would have an exceptional guest that we will reveal shortly.”
Even outside the centre, Christmas lights up with initiatives. In Sant’Angelo in Campo, from 6 to 8 December, workshops, tastings and meetings with Santa Claus will animate the historic village; in Borgo Giannotti, on November 23, the Chic Market of Forte dei Marmi will return; while on December 14, in Sant’Anna, the Christmas edition of the street market will bring colors and scents of celebration along the whole avenue.
The grand finale will be, as a tradition, on January 6, with the Festa della Befana in Piazza San Francesco, organized by the Popular Committee for almost thirty years. The most beloved old woman in Italy will come from the sky thanks to the Fire Department of Lucca, bringing gifts, stockings and music, on a day of celebration dedicated to young and old.