2 Bloggers, 4 hands, 8 ideas.
We are Chiara and Nadia, and we’ve decided to write this post together to help you find the best place to visit in our region during Christmas time.
Chiara will show you the loveliest Christmas market places where to buy presents for your friends and family and all the decorations for your Christmas tree. Nadia will tell you the most beautiful and strange cribs and nativity scenes.
Christmas markets in Le Marche
Three suggestions, three Christmas markets which you don’t have to miss in Le Marche region in this period.
The first one is ‘Candles in Candelara’. It’s a festival dedicated to the candles that will take place in the beautiful village of Candelara from 29th November to 14th December (the ticket price is 2.00 euro). Candelara is a little medieval village in the Pesaro-Urbino province, that with 2 planned shutdowns of electric light will be illuminated only by candlelights for 15 minutes. Candelara also offers to the tourists Christmas market, street food, performers and other attractions for children like the workshop of Santa Claus.
Macerata, in the middle of Le Marche, organizes a characteristic Christmas market all around the inner city in these days: 7-8th, 14th and 21th December. More than 80 exhibitors will present their tipical products, decorations for home and the Christmas tree, artisanal cribs, and also a lot of vintage and curious objects.
Last but not least, I suggest you to visit Ascoli Piceno, with its amazing Piazza del Popolo, one of the most famous squares in Italy, where, until the 8th of December, there will be the Christmas market, a special event with antiques, crafts, typical food products and gift ideas for your Christmas presents.
Cribs and nativity scenes in Le Marche
After Chiara’s shopping tips I want to show you 2 unmissable nativity scenes (the Marche region is full of nativity scenes and it’s impossible to write about all of them!).
The first one is in Genga (very close to the amazing Frasassi caves) the biggest in the world with setting in a very particular area. All the characters are along the side of the mountain surrounded by the woods. On top, in a natural cave, the magnificient Valadier Temple and the nativity are really amazing.
There are only 2 performances: on 26th nd 28th December 2014. The ticket price is 5 euro.
The second nativity scene that I recommend you is in Grottammare, in the south of the region. The entrance is free and the figures are all around the small street of the village.
Grottammare is a lovely city with a wonderful view on the Adriatic sea. Usually there are 3 performances: the first one on 26th December and other two in January.
In Italy there is a big crib tradition: in Le Marche cribs are not famous as the cribs from Naples but I want to show you two curious examples. The first one is in my little town: Filottrano. In a very suggestive deconsecrated church there is an huge crib, so huge that you can walk inside! But if you like small things, in another deconsecrated church, there is the Little Cribs Show, very adorable. The two exhibitions are opened from the Christmas night until Epiphany week end.
My last tip brings you in Tolentino in the beautiful Saint Nicola’s Church. Here there is another special crib: not only the nativity of Jesus Christ, but more then 400 terracotta figurines tell the story of the very famous Saint Nicola.
