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.