Italian Clubs, Events, Lifestyle; Travel Italy

If you happen to visit the major Italian art cities during the festivities, have a look to the following quick guide of things not to be missed.

In Venice, the Christmas market held in the historic square of Campo Santo Stefano. You’ll be able to buy craft-made Venetian products there as well as a variety of regional gastronomic delicacies from all Italian regions.

Not so far from Venice, In Verona — Romeo & Juliet city, you can visit the International Christmas Cribs Exhibition. This exhibition held at the Verona’s Arena, including more than 400 different representations of Nativity Scene from countries all over the world, runs through January 20.

In Rome, things not to be missed: the Presepe di Piazza San Pietro — the representation of the Nativity Scene in Vaticano, which is being set on the St. Peter Basilica parvis, in front of the obelisk and the Piazza Navona’s Christmas market. Piazza Navona is an ideal place to experience the flavour of the festivities in Rome.

In Florence: New year’s eve concert held in Piazza Santa Croce on December 31, New year’s day concert held at Teatro del Maggio Musicale on January 1st.

In Turin, A colourful Christmas market is held every year in the piazzas and gardens of Borgo Dora.

In Naples, the Chiaia district, where a Christmas village is being set up, is at the heart of the festivities.

Like any year, the medieval town of Gubbio, Umbria, lights its Christmas tree on December 8. It’s really something special; it is the the largest Christmas tree in the world.

Actually, it is not a tree, but 12 kilometres of extensive decorations illuminating all the way up the slopes of Mount Ingino and that give this towering mountain dominating Gubbio, a shape of Christmas tree.
So in the night you can see a huge Christmas tree dominating the city from more than 50 kilometres away. It has become one of the icons of Gubbio.

Where: Gubbio - Umbria (see on the map).

If you visit Italy in November or in December and look for seasonal food, you can’t miss chestnuts. You can taste roasted chestnuts all across the country; street vendors are everywhere, especially in the streets of art cities.

Better, you could accompany roasted chestnuts with “vino novello” (a kind of new wine; its season starts each year on November 6).

Also you can taste chestnuts dishes and delicacies in a number of gastronomic festivals taking place in Italy in this time (especially in the zones where chestnuts mostly grow, including Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, and Liguria).

If you would like to taste a very special sort of marrons glaces, in Rome you have the “fabbrica marrons glaces” (see website at www.marronglaces.it). The vendor of these baked chestnuts with sugar syrup is near tube station Lepanto, in via Paolo Emilio 67A, between via degli Scipioni and viale Giulio Cesare.

The following is a list of Italianamerican tenor Aaron Caruso’s upcoming appearances in Brooklyn and Connecticut.

- Friday, November 30th, 2007
Nina Pane Christmas Concert
6:30 pm: Festa di Natale 2007 (Christmas Festival Italian Style). 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Annex Y.M.A. Club 554 Woodward Avenue, New Haven Ct. Full course dinner and great entertainment.

Joining Aaron will be Christina Luna, Soprano, Baritone Ross Benoliel, the multi talented Marc Garofalo and special appearance by Mario Marra & Son. Kindly make your reservations by November 15th. Tickets ae $42.00 per person. Call Nina 203.787.0495; Louise 203.467.3148 and Josephine 203.865.6046

- Friday, December 14th, 2007
St. Bernadette- Brooklyn Performance
Friday, December 14th 2007: Aaron will be performing at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette, 8201 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets will go on sale on November 15th and are $20.00. Please call the rectory office at 718.837.3400 for reservations and tickets.

- Saturday, December 22nd, 2007
St. Raphael Church
Saturday, December 22, 2007: St. Raphael Church, 162 Oak Street, Bridgeport. Aaron’s first appearance at St. Raphael. This is a fund raiser for the Church and Shrine. Tickets are $20.00. Please call St. Raphael Church for reservations and tickets: 203.333.3161.

- Monday, December 31st, 2007
Roberto’s of Monroe NEW YEARS EVE PARTY!
Monday, December 31st, 2007: New Years Eve Spectacular. Dinner and Dancing through the night; Aaron Caruso will present a versatile and entertaining show. He will be singing Neapolitan songs, the classics, Broadway show tunes and even some operatic arias. There is going to be dancing too with a live video feed from Times Square. There will be special guest stars also. This is going to be a fun-filled evening at Roberto’s Restaurant and Banquet Hall , 505 Main Street, Monroe , CT 06468, Please call Roberto’s at (203) 268-5723 for reservations and tickets.