Xmas in Rome
By Advisor. Filed in Florida |
In the 18th century travellers often chose to come to Rome at xmas. Their stay usually lasted for many weeks and while its primary part coincided with some of the most sumptuous spiritual rites, its last one was devoted to more lay matters as the year end celebrations were followed by the then celebrated Roman Carnival.
Each year a very tall christmas tree is erected in Piazza S. Pietro : it is found close to the obelisk and every year it is donated by a another nation. Another tree is erected in Piazza Venezia, which is often considered the center of Rome ; trees appear in a few of the other historic squares. The dark green of the trees vainly fights to bring a sense of freezing winters and snowy landscapes. Marbles, travertine, palms, pines and a bright sunshine all conjure up a warmer Mediterranean ambiance. One then understands why these trees donot belong to the Italian traditional way of celebrating xmas.
The first crib ( It. Presepio ) is believed to have been prepared by St. Francis in the 1223 Christmas’ night in the priory of Greccio, a miniscule town in Middle Italy. The re-enactment of episodes of Jesus’ life wasnot new as scenes of Christ’s eagerness were already part of the ceremonies of the Holy Week. Cribs became highly regarded and in the next centuries the manufacture of the statues and of the landscape elements became a kind of minor art. Most of the churches of Rome have terribly elaborate cribs which are displayed in the weeks beforehand christmas. To keep alive the tradition in less official ways in several churches boy scouts are invited to build and exhibit their own crib.
during the past, Italian children were given candy and toys for the Epiphany in a re-enactment of the gifts brought to Jesus by the Magi : according to a popular custom Befana, an old fairy having the aspect of a witch, fills the socks that kids left next to the fire with toys and sweets. Today in a good number families gifts including those to children are exchanged at christmas, but still a sock of candies is generally given at the Epiphany. Naughty boys could find pieces of black coal instead, but they soon discover they’re made of sugar.
till the 1950s a marionette theatre with the traditional characters of the Italian comedy was a toy really cherished by most girls and boys. These days the majority of the puppets essentially sold represent Television and motion picture icons.
At xmas the sun doesnot get high enough to grant taking pictures in the small streets of central Rome, but some pictures in the archaeological districts get an additional interest from the long shadows projected by the monuments. You can spot the shade of Colonna Traiana projected on the buildings at the back it. Maybe you can see it from the Appartments Rom.
Early in the sunrise it might be critical to dress in a hat and a scarf, but during the daytime, the sun may lift up the temperature to 15C/60F and it is hot enough for some spontaneous vegetation to put down roots next to the travertine flowers of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Begin you Rome tour from an Appartment Rom which you can book at Oh-Holidays.
