Christmas Market in Santa Croce

It’s not well known that the Christmas Markets in Florence are a very popular attraction. At this time of year many of the visitors are from Italy, preferring to visit the city at a time when there are less tourists from abroad.

As a Christmas Market, Santa Croce has all you could want with an International group of vendors selling food, clothing and gifts. There’s the obligatory mulled wine and strudel from Austria, biscuits from Switzerland and, my favourite, a German trailer selling the type of hot dogs and burgers that dietitians warn you about.

Lantern Festival of Florence – Festa della Rificolona

The Lantern Festival (or Festa della Rificolona) of Florence is a true family event in the Florentine calendar. The colourful lanterns, lit by candles are carried from Piazza Santa Croce, past the Duomo to Piazza Santissima Annunziata. The centuries-old tradition to celebrate the Festa della Madonna which is tomorrow is continued with modern enthusiasm and the addition of vans selling sweets for young and old alike. Many of the lanterns are traditional with the purple colour of Florence, other less so. Unless “Hello Kitty” has a Florentine history I’m unaware of. Not only do the kids get to carry real fire, they also use blowpipes to try to puncture the lanterns, or take out their mother’s eye depending on how much candy floss/cotton candy they’ve eaten.

Piazza Santa Croce

In the East of the old town, Piazza Santa Croce is one the nicest and least touristy Piazze in Florence. There are artists and the shops are not aimed at locals in the main but sitting on the steps outside the church and having a drink is highly recommended!

Public drinking of alcohol is perfectly acceptable here and so a bottle of wine or beer from one of the local shops can be a great way to save money for doing something more exciting like the 500 Touring Club’s wine tasting tour!

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