Happy Holidays from Pistoia!
Gliding into Christmas
A new addition to the holiday festivities in Pistoia this year is the panoramic Ferris wheel the opening in Piazza San Francesco next to the ice skating rink. Starting on the 1st of December 2018, visitors of all ages can slip on a pair of skates and twirl around on the ice in the middle of this central square. The rink will be open until the 6 of January - however, the word is if the weather stays crisp and cool it just may be open until the end of February!
The festive calendar for Pistoia has something happening every day from exhibitions to theater shows, religious concerts to holiday music in the streets, Christmas markets and of course there will be several ideas and activities that will include the kids. One concert not to miss is on the 15th of December in Sala Maggiore with the Pistoia Gospel Singers. Check the official program for dates, times and events.
Credit foto: archivio gonews.it
Forever Green in Pistoia
On December 1, 2018, at 5:30 pm, you can participate in the lighting of the Christmas tree, a focal point for the holiday celebrations. In addition to the large pine tree reigning in the Piazza del Duomo, the entire city center will be illuminated in an event called “M’illumino d’inverno”, which translates into a video mapping of many of the more distinguished monuments of the city including Piazza Duomo, Piazza San Bartolomeo, the ex Hospital Ceppo, the Giardino di Cino, the Chiesa di San Filippo and the Basilica dell’Umiltà.
The main Christmas tree is not the only thing greenery you will find in the city! The decorations in the town squares and city streets will highlight one of the main industries of Pistoia: the plant nurseries. Several of the many and common areas will be "spruced-up" with a wide variation of local plants grown right here in Pistoia adding life, fragrance, and color to the holiday festivities.
Art During the Holidays
We are still waiting for a confirmation on the opening hours for the 4th edition PresepiAmo which displays around 200 nativity scenes made from interesting objects - this is sure to capture the attention of all ages.
This is just one of many great art shows open for the holidays. For more ideas, click here for Tuscany and in Florence.
Venturing Outside the City Walls
Within the province of Pistoia, at the thermal town of Montecatini, the Christmas program starts on the 8th of December to a concert by the Leoncavallo Academy and the Conservatorio “Corelli” di Messina featuring pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, and Satie.
Or you could block your calendar for the Chiesa Corpus Domini “Concerto di Natale” featuring “CorOne” on the 16th of December. But no worries if you can't make those dates, you are still in time for the Christmas Concerts at the Excelsior on the 24th, 25th, and 26th or join the fun with the Red Raider Marching Band from Pennsylvania!
And, as tradition will have it, on Monday, January 1 at 11 am the new year will be greeted by the 15th edition of the New Year concert.
New Year’s in Pistoia
On December 31st, Pistoia will say good-bye to 2018 with music and fun. The stage for these events will be at Piazza del Duomo starting with a musical concert, the details have yet to be published.
Top Photo credit: lavocedipistoia.com, last update: November 27, 2018
