Christmas in Trieste: a magical atmosphere and entertainment during the festive period

Lights, music, entertainment, market stalls, waltzing and an exhibition. Trieste welcomes the Christmas holiday period with a packed programme of events and many initiatives to celebrate 25th December and welcome in the New Year. From dancing and singing to an ice-skating rink and market stalls, many corners of the city will be sparkling as Christmas is eagerly awaited, starting in the heart of Trieste, Piazza Unità, with fir trees, music and a Christmas comet star offering passers-by a magical Christmas atmosphere. The Christmas animation initiatives in Trieste are carried out by the Municipality of Trieste thanks to the contribution of the Foundation CRTrieste.

“Il Genio di Escher” (The Genius of Escher) in Trieste

On 18th December 2019, the exhibition will be inaugurated and will be open until 7th June 2020 at the Salone degli Incanti. The exhibition of works by the Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher will present 200 works and all his masterpieces, including “Hand with Reflecting Sphere”, “Relativity” and “Bond of Union”. Alongside his most famous works, his series entitled “The Days of Creation” will be presented for the first time: six woodcuts that tell the story of the creation of the world by the famous artist renowned for his wood carvings, lithographs and halftones. On the occasion of the exhibition, PromoTurismoFVG along with the Municipality of Trieste, Confindustria Venezia Giulia, Federalberghi Trieste and the Associazione Bed and Breakfast FVG will be organising “Gift for Guests”, a unique and experimental initiative in Italy: a free ticket to the exhibition will be offered to all those who stay at least one night in the city of Trieste in the hospitality facilities taking part in this initiative.

The waltz, the history of a tradition

Trieste, which for many years was the Italian capital of operetta, continues to be enlivened by the notes of Austrian composers. Inspired by a Viennese operetta, the “Il Sogno di un Valzer” (Dream of a Waltz) returns to Piazza Unità. This dream has already come true because in December last year, the capital city of Friuli-Venezia Giulia entered the Guinness Book of Records by hosting 1,598 couples who all danced at the same time to the notes of “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”, beating the previous record held by the Bosnian city of Tuzla. The event, which magically enlivened one of the most beautiful squares in Europe overlooking the Adriatic Sea, will also take place this year, on 14th December, bringing together all professional and amateur dancers who took part in realising this “dream” and attracting other dancers motivated by the desire to dance and be together. The event, organised by the Municipality of Trieste, in collaboration with d’AiMeS, will be presented by Andro Merkù of Trieste, a popular radio and television presenter. The invitation is open to all those who love dancing and registration is not required.

Lights, music and market stalls for Christmas

The lighting up of the Christmas lights of 24 fir trees and the large Christmas comet star that surround Piazza Unità, as well as 680 Christmas street light systems, kicked off the full programme of events, including various music performances that will be held in the period up to Christmas. Every weekend, in three locations in the city centre – Piazza Cavana, at the junction between San Nicolò and Via Dante and the junction between Via San Nicolò and Via Cassa di Risparmio – music will be heard in the streets. Six performances a day will be held by the “Christmas Carols” and “Soulxmas” groups, who will perform a repertoire of traditional Christmas carols, all strictly unplugged, by the “Panta Rhei” choir and by the female vocal group “LeSandrine”. In addition to the Christmas lights and sounds, with music and songs also from the different communities living in Trieste, there will be an ice-skating rink and the traditional “Fiera di San Nicolò” (St. Nicholas Fair), with Christmas market stalls, which will be open until 6th January for the first time (for further information please visit: www.discover-trieste.it).