Christmas markets and lights in Lucca and Florence
The holiday season is approaching, and the various cities are starting to decorate themselves with lights, trees, and decorations.
This year Lucca has decided to go down the road of sustainability, not forgoing the classic luminaries but equipping itself with energy-efficient LED lights. The main idea behind this choice is to combine the desire to give the city a festive look with the impact on the environment, which is of extraordinary importance, especially nowadays.
Let’s look at all the initiatives within the Lucca City of Christmas 2022 event.
Decorations in the old town and Christmas trees
Four Christmas trees are distributed among the city’s most important squares: the first stands out in the center of Piazza Ponte a Moriano , the second is in Piazza San Giovanni, the third in Piazza San Martino, and the last one, the solidarity tree, adorns Piazza San Francesco.
Walking through the streets of the historic center, you will find yourself enveloped in a riot of lights. This way, Puccini’s city is even more charming than usual, especially as the sun goes down. The city gates and the outer part of the City Walls are also illuminated, thanks to colored jellies applied to points of light.
Every single decoration creates a true colorful path that takes you all the way to Ponte Moriano and Piazza del Popolo.
Sustainable lighting and art installations
Energy sustainability was the main focus for the city administration in its Christmas lighting project for 2022. The city decided to equip itself with high-impact LED lights, low on CO2 emissions, showing its constant attention to the environment around us once more. In terms of numbers, the aerial installations of Lucca Magical Christmas have an energy cost of only 16 kw/h total, while the ground installations are made with reflective materials with an energy cost of only 2.3 kw/h total.
Other sustainable installations are the Emiliana Martinelli’s Boschetto path in Piazza San Giovanni and the Re-CycleXmas Tree in Piazza Scalpellini, which will be lighten up d next Friday, December 2. Furthermore, there will be a Giant Santa Claus for the little ones in Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.
Traditional Christmas markets in Lucca
It’s not Christmas without the traditional markets, and that’s why the Winter Village awaits you in Piazza Napoleone until January 8. It is an area dedicated to Christmas with classic festive stands, an ice skating rink, a children’s merry-go-round, and Christmas music in the background.
In Piazza San Frediano you’ll find the classic little houses typical of northern European markets, along with a nativity scene created with the collaboration of Lucca centro commerciale naturale, Confcommercio, Confartigianato, and Confindustria.
From December 8 to January 8, there will also be The House of Santa Claus, a space dedicated to music, workshops, games, and entertainment for children and adults.
And yet a thousand other initiatives as part of Lucca City of Christmas, such as Christmas at the Puccini Museum, the Meraki Market, and the opportunity to visit churches usually closed to the public for free until January 2.
Christmas markets in Florence, another unmissable experience
If you plan to stay in the area for a few days, we recommend that you visit the Christmas markets in Florence.
In the extraordinary setting of Piazza Santa Croce, you will find numerous stands with food, gift ideas, and handicrafts. International delicacies, hot chocolate, crepes, mulled wine, Dutch waffles, and Austrian pretzels: that’s what awaits you in one of the most beautiful squares in Florence. And who knows, you might even find gifts for family and friends to take home and put under the tree.
Book your Christmas getaway to Lucca among Christmas lights and markets now. L’Antica Bifore Guesthouse is waiting for you, already festively decorated, in the heart of the historic center, within the city walls.
