The 17 contrade

The Legend of la BEFANA

Passion of Christ on Palm Sunday

The Grassina Passion Play

Gothic Dream

The Race or Bravio of St. Reparata

Wish upon a star

Halloween

Bacco Artigiano at Rufina

And who was St. Zenobius?

A home from home through the year

More Tuscan history

The Scottish market

A taste of Germany in Santa Croce

Frohe Weihnacht
[Rocco Barisci]

From December the 4th untill the 21st Heidelberg, a charming German town, will lend its 500-year old Weihnachtsmarkt to Florence, and the culture and traditions of its people with it.

The reproduction of a German Christmas market is an exciting event: it will be arranged in about fifty little wooden huts and enlivened with a Bonbon Karussell and an early 20th century Carousel, giving a special charm to the beautiful Santa Croce square in Florence.

The stalls will be open daily from 10am to 10pm, selling Christmas tree decorations and nativity scene ornaments, hand-made toys, special festive items like Christmas pyramid carousels, traditional Bunzlau ceramics, typical food products like spiced wines, beers, wurst and strudel, as well as special Christmas sweets like Pfefferkuchen (cookies with pepper), Lebkuchen (cookies with honey) and Dresdner Stollen (sweet raisin bread filled with marzipan).

There will also be cultural activities with German and Italian artists and performances like a flag throwing show by the “sbandieratori del Calcio Storico Fiorentino”, concerts, children’s shows and a Santa Claus to create a beautiful Christmas atmosphere.

Pleasantly surrounded by this special aura, enjoying “vin brulé” (delicious warm wine with spices) and the other delicatessen, visitors will be able to listen to story tellers, learn Christmas songs and how to prepare cakes and sweets.

The official opening of the German Christmas market is on Saturday November 29th at 6pm with a welcome cocktail and a concert of German folk music by an instrumental band from Heidelberg.

Buon Natale, Happy Christmas, Frohe Weihnacht.


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