The Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas Market of Heidelberg in Florence

In Piazza Santa Croce (Santa Croce Square) is ending the Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas Market of Heidelberg: the classic market with small wooden stands offering wonderful, traditional German goods, food and treats, but there are also many other stands of typical products from all over Northern Europe. The Heidelberg market will finish on the 16th of December. From the 17th of December, still in Piazza Santa Croce, a more typical Italian Christmas Market has started (despite a very English fish and chips stand). And in Piazza Santa Croce many interesting and funny initiatives for children will take place in “La Casetta delle Storie” (=“The Little House of Tales”) from the 17th to the 23d of December starting from 4 P.M. (free admittance):

20th Dec.: “S.O.S. from the Pole: for Heaven’s Sake, the donkey an the ox aren’t there…”
21st Dec.: “Bows and Christmas Papers: lets work on gifts…”
22nd Dec.: “Narrating and Rhyming …”
The initiatives and activities are held by the “Scioglilibro Assocation” together with “Chiari” bookshop infos: +39 328 6198311; scioglilibro@virgilio.it.

“La piana va in Citta” from the 8th to the 23rd of December at Caffe Michelangelo on Via Cavour, 8. This is not a market, but an exhibit where it is possible to admire all with a series of great quality, craftsmanlike products: everyone who loves great artisan work ought to come to the “Piana” of Florence.

“Piccolo mercato dell’artigianato” that means “The Little Market of Crafts” in the beautiful Piazza Santissima Annunziata will take place from the 10th to the 16th of December, 2007.

The markets are another initiative for the little neighbourhood town of Bagno a Ripoli (10 minutes drive from Florence), and the initiative of “A Tutto Natale” (=“All of Chritsmas”) with a special edition of the weekly market on December 22nd called “A Christmas with You”; on the 15th of December, there will be a market solely of the “Calcit” charitable organization (devoted to children diseases) at Grassina and Antella (two of the villages in the premises of Bagno A Ripoli); on the 16th of December there will be an extraordinary edition of the weekly market at Antella, and finally, on the 23rd of December, there will be another extraordinary edition at Grassina.“A Tutto Natale” will have also a rich program of initiatives in proximity to the Christmas Festival and here is the list from December 2007 to January 2008.

Grassina
December 23: Parking Lot of the Popolo House’ an extraordinary edition of the weekly market
January 5: Piazza Umbert I at 9pm- the Epiphany distributes socks
January 6: The March of the Magi Kings in the Piazza Tegolaia

Bagno a Ripoli
December 22nds from 10am until 7pm: “Natale con i Tuoi” = “Christmas with the ones you love;” beginning at 11 am: a market with the stands of the local Charitable Associations; at the end of the night, via Roma (the main street) will be alive with simple toys which adapt to intelligence for the big and the small; live music; Santa Clause will cheer up the festival with his pony and small gifts at 3pm. The Festival of the Nativity with a living Christmas scene in the piazza in Via delle Arti and 5pm. There will be a prize given to the thre best letters to Santa Clause at 5:30 pm, and there will also be a prize given to the most beautiful shop window; a parade will talke place of the Cherubini Philharmonic to the centre at 6pm, where Santa Messa will accompany the Cherubini Philharmonic in the Piazza della Pace.
For Information, please call: Call Center Linea Comune, te. +39 055 055 (800-055055 on the land line phone) from Monday to Saturday, from 8am until 8pm.

The Christmas Tree in Florence

Last friday, the 7th of December, a gigantic Christmas Tree (12 m) was placed in the heart of Florence, in Piazza Repubblica to symbolize the Florentine Christmas. An enormous Christmas tree, 12 meters tall, was placed in the center of the city to celebrate the holiday season. The Christmas tree will remain in the Piazza throughout the holidays, until January and symbolizes Christmas in Florence.

New Year's Eve Party and concert

The midnight feast will be back after the success of last year and take place at the Uffizi Center to celebrate the New Year in downtown Florence, right next to the Uffizi Gallery! Enjoy a delicious dinner, music, dancing and you simply can't forget a midnight toast. You are even able to join the festivities after dinner if you prefer, and this is a great way to bring in the new year in Florence.

And for the ones that prefer good old classic music, here’s the top: in Santa Croce square the Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro lirico Europeo, conducted by Giuseppe Lanzetta will start performing from 11.00 PM. Music by Strauss, Verdi, Bizet. Free entrance!

The first of the year's concert in Florence will be held at the Teatro Comunale. The young (and brilliant) Orchestra of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole will be performing at 11.30 in the morning. Free entrance!

ICE SKATING in Florence, Italy

ICE SKATING AT THE PARTERRE SQUARE

It is approaching Christmas time and Florence rediscovers the magic of skating on the ice rink at the Parterre Square of Liberty. Enjoy a classic night of ice skating at the facility in the city, which from 1996 until now, has seen the first structure in the Piazza Santa Croce and then at Parterre, with a growing success each year.

The Florence rink, consisting of a 20x30 track, is capable of accommodating 200 skaters at a time and is kept cooled by a large generator which can keep the temperature at a constant -10 °. Colored lights and background music offer a touch of atmosphere to attract and welcome even the youngest skaters. The ice skating rink will be available to rent shoes at the set price of to 6 euros (4 euros for those who own skates) per time.
The rink will be open on the mornings between: 9am / 10am 10am/11am, 11.30am / 12.30pm; between the hours of the afternoons: 2pm/3pm 3:30pm / 4:30pm 5pm/6pm 6:30pm / 7:30pm; and during the evenings for a skate between: 9pm/10pm 10:30pm/11:30pm and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12am until 1am.

As usual for pupils and students in primary schools, middle and high in the morning time between 9am-10am, will be able to enjoy free skating (unless it is accompanied by their teachers). The area is easily reachable by bus shuttles to and from the Historical Center and has a great area of underground parking available.

On Christmas Day, the skating rink will be dedicated to the children, who will be able to enter the rink and be greeted by Santa Claus, and during the Epiphany.
As every year, on the night of Saint Sylvester, the ice skating rink will be a natural meeting point for many Florentines to drink and ring in the new year again.

Events for the New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve in Florence

Enjoy a full dinner at the Rifrullo for 78 euros from after 9pm, with the opportunity to enjoy the bar only after 11pm and for the midnight cheers.
The dinner includes a tasty carpaccio with bresaola and castelmagno truffle, bass and salmon marinated with Mediterranean spices,risotto served in the form of parmesan,'whole' bluefin tuna served on a bed of mixed lettuce, lonzino lardellato served with robbery and lentils and a wide variety of sweets with drinks and a dance party. If chocolate eats and shot glasses made with cream mignon at midnight tempt you, then you certainly cannot miss out!

RIFRULLO restaurant and BAR LOUNGE via San Niccolo' 55 /r -Florence. For information: 055-234 26 21 info@ilrifrullo.com

Rifrullo is also a cheap restaurant in Florence for Christmas day.

New Year's Eve in Florence

Florence is the place for very special 2007/2008 New Year's

New Year's Eve in Florence
There are many events in Florence this New Years- from 'veglioni,' parties, and concerts both in local venues and on the streets, to numerous plays staged in theaters in and around Florence where you can spend a joyous night in the company of San Silvestro.

in the next days I will tell what to do in Florence for the New Year's Eve