Italian's Christmas Market

Christmas is in the air, streets are filled with lights decorations, windows are magically decorated… Christmas songs enliven the landscape and right over our eyes we see a huge tree and many stands that sells Christmas decorations, regional products, souvenirs … yes…what we’re looking at is a typical Christmas Market.

Originated in Germany, these market are now being held in many other countries, but their history dates back to the Late Middle Ages in the territories between Germany and Alsace, it is in fact in these areas that, what is believed to be the first Christmas market, took place. The first document attesting a Christmas market dates back to 1434, and cites a Striezelmarkt (market 'Striezel', a German sweet) that took place in Dresden, the Monday before Christmas. Later, during the Protestant Reformation, the name was changed into Christkindlmarkt, in opposition to the cult of the saints. We then find the markets of Strasbourg (1570), the one of Nuremberg in 1628, Bautzen (first held in 1384), Frankfurt (first mentioned in 1393) and Munich (1310). "December market" in Vienna might be seen as a kind of forerunner of the Christmas market and it dates back to 1294.

Originally, the markets were the meeting-point of the best local artisan who used to meet there to exhibit their precious work that recalls the Nativity and the Advent. Yet these small objects, created specifically for the market, were quite expensive and far out of reach for the average family of the time, reason why at least initially, only the bourgeoisie was attracted to these markets.

 Over the years, however, the interest around these craft exhibitions grew exponentially, up to their expansion almost all over the country. As for the other European countries, the prevalence of the Christmas markets took place only towards the end of the last century, for example, what is now considered the most important Italian Christmas market in Bolzano, was born only in 1990. The tradition of Christmas markets want them to expose only "handmade” products, and it is for this reason that even today these items are one of the main attractions of the event.
But for an instance let’s focus on Italy… if we follow an imaginary journey from north to south, we can see that this tradition came from Northern Europe, has carved out a big role in the whole peninsula, we can find them almost everywhere:

•    In Lombardy in Torbole on Lake Garda, is the characteristic market of Saint Lucia that takes place on the eve of the feast in December 12.

•    Of course, we cannot forget the Christmas markets of Trentino Alto Adige, which turns red for the holiday season and expose many ideas for gifts, decorations. Amongst them the most important Christmas market are those of Bolzano, Merano, Brunico and Trento

•    In Lucca San Michele Fair opens the festivities in the beautiful Tuscan city, on the day of the Immaculate Conception with markets that stay open until Christmas Eve. In other Florentine cities however, the traditional Christmas market takes place from 23 December until Epiphany. Even in the cities of Pisa, Carrara, Palazzuolo sul Senio and Torrita of Siena, you can fine many markets.

•    In Rome, the capital, from late November until Epiphany, Piazza Navona turns into a very traditional Christmas market full of stands displaying delicacies of every kind.

•    In Campania, Naples is the "capital" of Christmas, in fact, thanks to the classic markets of the historic centre in San Biagio and San Gregorio Armeno, you can find the most beautiful nativity scene dolls of the very old Neapolitan tradition. The skill of local artisans mixed with fantasy, creates very unique masterpieces renowned all over the world.

What else to say? There will be spoiled for choice. Spend Christmas in Italy and you will not regret the choice

Palazzo Donn'Anna

Located at the beginning of Via Posillipo, Palazzo Donn’Anna is one of the most famous buildings in Naples that emerges from the sea in an impressive palace of tuff. Built in the late fifteenth century on an existing building called "La Sirena" owned by Dragonetto Bonifacio, this massive building was renovated by the will of Donna Anna Carafa wife of the viceroy Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán duke of Medina de las Torres. The project was commissioned to the most important architect of the city in that period, Cosimo Fanzago. In 1642 in fact, he readied a design according to the canons of the Neapolitan Baroque that provided, among other things, the construction of a double entry point, one on the sea and one on the carriage road that stretched along the coast of Posillipo and that led to the inner courtyard of the building. In the interior, was eventually constructed a theatre overlooking the Bay of Naples, however, Fanzago failed to complete the work due to the premature death of Donna Anna.

The building left unfinished assumed the spectacular charm of an ancient ruin blurred among the remains of Roman villas that characterize the coast of Posillipo. Later damaged during a popular uprising and later by an earthquake, Palazzo Donn’Anna stands silent and mysterious beside the sea.

However, the fame of Palazzo Donn'Anna is not due exclusively to its imposingness; it is also popular because popular traditions wants it to be, at any cost, scene of many spicy and mysterious events related to its inhabitants and owner. We could start talking about the hottest nights of Queen Giovanna, which, was said, to kill her lovers (a bit like the praying mantis) after sex was over. However, we will focus on the life of its owner Anna Carafa.

Princess of Stigliano, blonde, beautiful and brought to the command, she had been described as "cold and sensual, haughty and bold, cold-eyed and lips shaped to a false and ironic smile." Anna inherited all the properties of her grandfather Luigi Antonio because her father and brother Joseph had died prematurely.

Shortly after marrying Prince Ramiro, the ambitious Anna, given its unbridled passion for lavish parties, built Palazzo Donna Anna, mysterious wonder of golden tuff that cost about 150,000 ducats, where all the Spanish and Neapolitan nobility participated in the magnificent feasts held by Donna Anna. As mentioned above, she built a wonderful theatre in which great shows were played. Actors were all nobles, and her niece, Mercede de las Torres, beautiful, young, longhaired and eyed blacks used to take part to these representations. One day Anna noticed a strange connection between her beautiful Spanish niece and her former lover Gaetano Casapesenna thus beginning to have doubts about a possible relationship between the two.

It was a play to dispel every doubt, where Casapesenna played the part of a knight and Mercedes that of a slave in love with her master, who in the story was faithful to the point of sacrificing her own life to save that of her loved. In the final scene, which saw them kiss for the last time, both turned out to be so true to the whole room burst of applause for the great performance; everyone but Donna Anna who was mad with envy and jealousy.

It is said that after that episode, Carafa had to complain several times against her nephew, so much that the quarrels in fighting for the love of Casapesenna became a frequent habit. However, one day, Mercedes disappeared, saying that she, driven by a sudden religious vocation, had closed herself into a convent. The reality, much more raw, was that the beautiful Spanish, after a violent quarrel with her aunt, was killed in a dungeon of the palace under the order of Donna Anna. Casapesenna, for his part, never ceased to look for his beloved Mercedes neither when he breathed his last shot to death a few years later, in battle.

The hardness and sterility of feelings permanently invaded the heart of Donna Anna Carafa, victim of a hate that pushed her more and more into the arms of sorrow and loneliness. Shortly after, her husband was called back in Spain leaving Donna Anna in melancholy; she soon died for a pedicle disease. The palace, which remained unfinished, soon went to ruin.

Sad story of a love triangle and death still intended to leave indelible marks , and if on the one hand the ghost of Donna Anna wandering restlessly through the palace , making feel her icy presence, on the other hand the shadow of the beautiful Mercedes still vague in the basement of the place that once saw her happy. The undaunted Casapesenna runs in the eternal and frantic search of his great love never forgotten.