A Firenze Light Festival for the Holidays

6-tracce-di-luce-foto-mauro-sani-copyThrough January 8:  FIRENZE LIGHT FESTIVAL. Florence historical center.   Events free.

This December and January, traditionally a low tourist season, Florence becomes brighter and lighter with its churches, towers, piazzas and monuments turning into targets of illumination. In locations all over the city light will take center stage with projections, light shows and games and educational activities. Further out of the historic center lighted holiday trees brighten up the night from Piazza delle Cure to Piazza Dalmazia, Gavinana and even along the tramway construction sites.

Following last year’s popular F-Light Festival, organizers have extended the event past Christmas and into January. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella declares, “The festival F-Light is one of the highlights of our Christmas and this year will be even more rich, a whole month of lights and light installations that will beautify our city.”

The season’s kickoff begins when the mayor lights the big fir trees in Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza Duomo. (December 8, Palazzo Vecchio 5 pm, Piazza Duomo 6 pm).For the following month residents and visitors can look forward to many activities dedicated to families and children including video mapping which turns familiar Florentine landmarks into display surfaces for light projections.

Much of the Festival of Light occurs in and around Piazza della Signorina and the Palazzo Vecchio, or city hall. A fantasy projection illuminates the Loggia dei Lanzi turning Renaissance sculptures by Benvenuto Cellini and Giambologna into hi-tech art objects.   On December 18 and 23 young and old alike can discover the city’s most important building exploring by torchlight the spaces and secrets of Palace Vecchio (7 pm for families with children ages 8-12. 9 pm for teens and adults. All participants should bring a functioning flashlight).

“Games with Light and Shadows” offers fun for families of all ages on December 18 (Palazzo Vecchio, 10, 11 and 12 noon.) On January 6, Epiphany, families with children aged 3 to 7 are invited to participate in the games (Palazzo Vecchio, 3, 4 and 5 pm).

This year the basilica of Santa Croce’s marble façade becomes a frame for images of varying shades of white. Even the Loggia del Porcellino comes alive with the famous piglet coming alive with chasing lights.

The Ponte Vecchio once again serves as the “canvas” for an exhibition, this year with the installation “Lightness” portraying the importance of light in art. Masterpieces by Caravaggio, Van Gogh and Andy Warhol among others will be displayed in video mapping images on the medieval bridge.

On the other side of the Arno, the façade of the church of Santo Spirito will be flooded with light images on the theme of the flood of 1966. On Monday, December 12 at 7 pm Santa Spirito hosts an event including a calligraphy demonstration and a DJ set. Celebrators can then walk to the medieval city gate of Porta Romana to enjoy creative illuminations beginning nightly at 5:30 pm.

This holiday season try celebrating the short days and long nights exploring a light-filled city.  For complete information, visit www.flightfirenze.it.  (rita kungel)