A weekend that smells of festivity and magic: the curtain rises on Arezzo Città del Natale 2022, the calendar of events that from 19 November to 8 January 2023 will involve the entire historic centre. From markets to light shows, there are many attractions for young and old in the heart of one of Italy’s most beautiful cities. The weekend in the area also offers cultural events, shows and nature itineraries.
Arezzo City of Christmas, the Days of Wonder
An entire city is mobilised to live one of the most beautiful times of the year in grand style: Arezzo City of Christmas is back, the calendar of events organised by the Fondazione Arezzo Intour and realised with the Municipality of Arezzo. From 19 November 2022 to 8 January 2023, every weekend, it will dress up the marvellous historical centre of the city in festive style.
Many are the attractions that will mark the wait for Christmas and lead to the beginning of the New Year, starting from the original path of light installations that will offer an unusual interpretation of architecture and historical buildings, accompanying the visitor in a spectacular and exciting itinerary.
The entire historic centre will be transformed by the magic of Christmas: the ‘Meadow’, a large green area dominating the city, will be the ‘Park of Wonders’, with many themed events, typical markets, the planetarium and the eagerly awaited Ferris wheel.
One of the absolute novelties of this edition is the ‘Fortress of Wonders’ organised by the Fondazione Guido d’Arezzo: inside the ancient Medici Fortress, located at the highest point of the Prato, a veritable village of Elves will be set up. A magical place where it will be possible to visit themed rooms and taste local delicacies. Don’t miss the enchanted forest, the gift workshop, the throne with the Ice Queen, the animated Lemax village, the Elves’ hot air balloon and many other surprises.
In Piazza Grande, the appointment with the Christmas Markets organised by Confcommercio Arezzo is renewed and the unique atmosphere of the Tyrolean Village, the largest in Italy outside the borders of the Tyrol (until 26 December – www.mercatininatalearezzo.it) is breathed in: over 36 small wooden huts, filled with typical gastronomic and craft products from all over Europe. And then the Christmas GardenAr, the chestnut house and the Big Lights Show, the light and colour show on the facades of the old buildings.
To the delight of the little ones, Father Christmas’s House will also be back in the Palazzo di Fraternita (booking required on https://bit.ly/3tgDSFw): an enchanted itinerary of games, workshops and animation that this year also opens up to a reading education project with the collaboration of the Arezzo Library.
In Piazza San Francesco (until 26 December), the Gallery of Contemporary Art welcomes Brick House Art: three floors of works of art and monuments (from the Trevi Fountain to the Tower of Pisa and the Venetian Piazza San Marco) reproduced using 2 million of the beloved bricks. Original nativity scenes will be set up in the churches of Arezzo, while Piazza San Jacopo and Piazza Risorgimento will host a traditional market characterised by small wooden houses offering the typical atmosphere of a Christmas village.
To make Arezzo City of Christmas even more magical, there are also many special events and side initiatives. On this first weekend, on Saturday 19 November in the Prato area from 4.00 p.m. there will be “Moonlight”, a parade on stilts with luminous costumes and giant balloons that, touching a height of 4 metres, will evoke the moon and its brightness, and the exciting performance of Ramon Kathriner, finalist artist of Tu si che vales 2020, who will climb 22 metres high on the swinging pole (performance scheduled on Saturday and Sunday from 4.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.).
On Sunday 20 November, again at the Parco il Prato, from 4.00 to 5.00 p.m. there will be a parade of the evocative masks of the traditional Carnival of the Figli di Bocco di Castiglion Fibocchi and a performance by the enthralling and Christmas Gospel Choir.
Arezzo City of Christmas – the full programme
Outdoor Experience, itineraries in nature
Entra nel vivo il calendario Outdoor Experience che coinvolge l’intera provincia di Arezzo con escursioni guidate all’aria aperta durante le quali scoprire angoli affascinanti e a volte meno noti del territorio. Domenica 20 novembre “PassegiAsini con La Fattoria in Cammino” una camminata con gli asini nel bosco di San Severo di Poti, a pochi chilometri dal centro di Arezzo. Punto di partenza San Severo di Poti alle ore 10.00. Sempre domenica nella valle del Casentino, “La via nascosta per il monastero di Camaldoli”, un percorso intorno al Monastero di Camaldoli, cuore mistico del Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi. Partenza alle ore 10.00 dalla frazione Serravalle (Bibbiena).
Per partecipare la prenotazione è obbligatoria.
Outdoor experience – the whole excursion programme
Between music, theatre and meetings
A weekend with the Foiano Book Festival, the review dedicated to literature that includes numerous meetings and book presentations. Guests include Valter Veltroni on Friday 18 at 9 pm, Federico Poggipollini on Saturday 19 November at 9 pm, and Paolo Jannacci on Sunday 20 November at 5 pm.
At the Teatro Petrarca in Arezzo on Sunday 20 November at 9.00 p.m., ‘Il marito invisibile’ with Maria Amelia Monti and Marina Massironi will be on stage.
At the Municipal Theatre of Cavriglia, Saturday 19 November, the “Materiali in Scena” review continues with Paolo Cioni in “Il figlio riuscito”, the story of a man who goes to renew his identity card in the Municipality and comes out transformed, like the heroes of myths.
In Valdarno, a new appointment with “Directors tell museums”: on Saturday 19 November at 4.30 p.m., director Fausto Forte takes visitors on a discovery tour of Casa Masaccio – Centre for Contemporary Art in San Giovanni Valdarno.
All music and theatre events on Discover Arezzo
