It will be an ethical Christmas, attentive to savings, but warm and full of initiatives. It’s the countdown to the beginning of the initiatives promoted by the Municipality and the Consorzio Belluno historic center for the month of December. The market will open on Saturday and videomapping will also begin on the buildings in piazza dei Martiri and piazza delle Erbe, new this year. It will replace the illuminations, which instead have been cut due to the increase in energy costs which would have made it a drain to illuminate the streets of the city.
“It will be a different Christmas, but with absolutely valid proposals,” explains Mayor Oscar De Pellegrin. The calendar is rich, and brings together all the initiatives scheduled for December, from theater performances already scheduled to exhibitions and conferences.
FROM SATURDAY TO EPIPHANY
As far as strictly Christmas initiatives are concerned, the market in Piazza dei Martiri will open on Saturday (10 am). “The ice rink in Piazza Duomo will also be ready soon, at no cost to the Municipality because it is managed entirely by a private individual”, highlights the councilor for tourism Paolo Luciani. “The program will begin on Saturday and end on January 6 with the Befana of the policeman, who will return to Piazza dei Martiri after two years”.
In between shows, such as the one on 27 December organized by the Municipality for the last public outing of the Belumat, or the “Christmas for all” initiative on 12 December organized by the association headed by Alvaro Dal Farra (motor therapy). “There will be no shortage of itinerant choirs and initiatives in the hamlets, such as in Cavarzano and Borgo Piave where the local realities will propose various events”, adds Luciani.
THE “EARTH” AND THE MARKET
This year, explains the president of the historic center consortium Massimo Capraro, “it will be an evocative Christmas of 2019. We have collected the moments that had created the most emotion and suggestion and we have re-proposed them, enriching them”. So here is Gaia, Luke Jerram’s Earth which will be installed above the fountain in Piazza dei Martiri for the weekend of the Immaculate Conception (8-10 December). The market, with fifteen houses full of typical Belluno products, is open from Saturday every day from 10 to 19.
The houses are being installed in the space in front of Porta Dante and towards the fountain. Three will serve typical Belluno food: polenta for walking, traditional soups, donuts with Belluno jams and creams. The mulled wine houses will be moved towards the municipal theater (opposite Oviesse) and there will be four of them.
VIDEO MAPPING AND CONCERTS
The videomapping is suggestive, with projections on the buildings ranging from the former Bank of Italy to the ACI, on the pharmacy in Piazza Santo Stefano, on Porta Dojona (façade and interior), on the Monte di Pietà building in Piazza delle Erbe and on Porta Dante . «In the first week, from Saturday, there will be an introduction with fixed colored projections. From the Immaculate Conception the videomapping effect will be triggered with enhancement in 4k of the architectural characteristics of the buildings», explained Capraro.
On the other hand, a film will be projected on the church of San Rocco with images of the culture and nature of Valbelluna and the Dolomites. First meeting on Saturday between 5 and 5.30 pm. There are three screenings every day, the first between 5 and 5.30 pm, the last between 8 and 9 pm.
Then there are the concerts by Paolo Fornasier and Federico Stragà in front of the church of San Rocco (on 10 and 11 December), the flash mob of DanzaOltre on 8 December, two Christmas trees will be decorated in front of the Prefecture and in front of the Theater Comunale, the latter dedicated to Stefano Bristot, president of the Consortium in 2019 and passed away in January 2021.
In the portico of Palazzo Minerva the Officine del Filo rosso will set up a nativity scene, on December 17th there will be a moment for greetings in Piazza dei Martiri with the giant panettone and prosecco offered to citizens, on the 17th the appointment with the associations will return, the “Christmas in solidarity ”. On the doors of the shops there will be a red ribbon as a decoration. «Every day there will be initiatives in the centre», concludes Capraro.