Here in Italy the Christmas holiday is extended, giving everyone some time to relax from the hustle and bustle of the preparations and shopping for Christmas. Today Italians celebrate the Epiphany, the day of the Three Kings, a national holiday, as well as celebration of La Befana. Yes, Santa Claus (Babbo Natale) arrives on Christmas Eve, but La Bafana, the witch on a broom stick who arrives on Jan. 5, Epiphany Eve, bringing treats to children, & is eagerly anticipated. The Bafana dates back to the 13th century. She has been around much longer than Santa Claus. Legend has it that she refused to travel with the Three Kings to see Baby Jesus, then regretted it and continues to fly around bringing treats to well behaved little children in hopes of finding the Christmas Child and giving him her belated gift. Children long ago put out their shoes hoping they would be filled with treats and not the dreaded pieces of coal left to naughty children. Possible the universal Christmas stockings are a nod to the original tradition of leaving out shoes.
To be in Italy during the end of the year festivities and Christmas celebrations is truly charming. Walking the streets and hearing Buone Feste (happy feasts) and Auguri really does carry good will.
By next week the beautiful Nativity scenes, Presepes and spectacular decorations will be taken down. Here are a sample of some:
Life size Nativity scenes with a modern day theme.
Waving the banner of the Florentine soccer team is the owner Mr. Rocco!
A life sized hand carved wooden Nativity scene in the Dolomites, where many lucky folks visit to ski or just enjoy the nature but most of all the hospitality of the people who host them.
Candy store with its assortment of Bafana dolls
All the museums in Florence have been open during this period with the exception of Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some current exhibits are on till the end of January, beginning of February while a few end in April.
The following are three very popular contemporary exhibits. At the Innocenti, Alfonso Mucha’s Art Nouveau scheduled to end on April 24.
The Palazzo Strozzi, Untrue Unreal exhibit by Anish Kapoor is on till Feb. 4, 2024. This is one for the whole family as it is interactive and combines science and architecture. Very educational as you really try to figure out how the artist was able to create these installations.
At the Museo Novecento Cecily Brown’s, Temptations Torments Trails and Tribulations is on till Feb. 4, 2024.
The beauty of Florence is that there are also lesser known galleries and museums that you can just serendipitously walk into and discover wonderful exhibits at very reasonable prices. The Palazzo Medici Riccardi for example is showing Depero, Cavalcata fantastica till January 28 and it is another exhibit that the whole family can enjoy.
The biggest WOW for me was to go to Casa Buonarroti and experience the small but powerful exhibit featuring the restoration of Artemisia Gentitleschi’s “Inclination” painted between the years 1613-1620. Artemisia, was accepted into the Academia delle Arti del Disegno in 1616, the first woman to do so.. She is considered to be one of the most important painters of the Renaissance, not an easy feat for a woman in those days! A very informative video describes her life including a very difficult period making you appreciate all the more how she was able to overcome and produce such incredible work. There is also an in depth explanation of the recent restoration and the technology used to achieve the results.
As this holiday season comes to and end and the New Year starts, I wish you all health, curiosity and more time for serendipity in 2024. May we all give and receive more kindness to help make the world a more peaceful place.
Till the next time.
fondlyfromflorence&beyond 