Florence is full of the festive spirit, with a giant fir tree and nativity scene in front of the Duomo, mulled wine at piazza Santa Croce’s German market, the streets sparkling with thousands of lights and, for the first time, the city’s most iconic sites illuminated for the season.
Combining technology, beauty and energy savings, the 13 installations of the Firenze Light Festival are lighting up Florence’s treasures, in celebration of the 30th anniversary, on December 17, of Florence’s qualification as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The lights will adorn the Loggia dei Lanzi, the tower of the Bargello, the bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina, the apse and facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Borgo San Jacopo, via dei Barbadori and via dei Bardi in the Oltrarno, via Paolieri, the piazza and market of San Lorenzo, the church of Santo Spirito, Palazzo della Mercanzia in piazza Signoria, Ponte Santa Trinita, Rinascente in piazza della Repubblica and piazza della Stazione. ‘We want Florence to be the model for innovation in lighting technology,’ said vice mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella. (For more information, see www.comune.fi.it/flight2012.)
In addition, Dimora luminosa (a tribute to artist Mario Mariotti) will decorate the façade of Santo Spirito church with videos, photography and animation every evening until December 31.
For other celebrations of the holiday season, see our Events section. Buon Natale!
[This article was modified on December 19, 2012: It is the 30th anniversary, on December 17, of Florence’s qualification as a UNESCO World Heritage site, not the 13th anniversary as was published in print.]
