Happy Santa Lucia Day! Today, December 13th, is Santa Lucia day in Verona, the traditional holiday here when children receive their presents (from Santa Lucia, who delivered them over night last night). I know that sounds like what happens with Santa Claus and Christmas later in the month, but Christmas isn’t traditionally as big a deal in Verona as Santa Lucia Day is, actually.  Among other things, there’s a big festival market in town that started over the weekend, and the stalls (food, candy, clothes, and misc stuff) in the market stay up in Piazza Bra through today.

Chris and I first visited Verona 14 years ago today, on December 13, 2002, and  it’s always fun to be back in town in time for Santa Lucia. Below are some sights from today, which was a grey, slightly foggy day.  The festival goes into the evenings, too, so I’ve included one taken on a dark and foggy night, too.

Listone marble walkway and the Santa Lucia market, Piazza Bra, Verona

Santa Lucia market on a foggy night

Food stalls include places to get savory porchetta (roast pork) sandwiches; fritella, a deep fried dough coated in sugar; and all kinds of candy. There are even candy applies, which I associate only with summer festivals in the U.S., so it seems funny to see kids eating them walking around when it’s freezing. Chris and I had porchetta sandwiches and a fritella today at the market, to get in the festive spirit on a cold, grey, slightly foggy day.

Porchetta (roast pork) and roll being heated on the grill (behind the hotdogs)

A worker handing over a fritella to a customer

Candy stall at the Santa Lucia Market

We didn’t have anything from the candy stall today, but I included a photo of it to show the candy apples at left.

Dozens of stalls — each topped with a white or pale yellow “roof” — are arranged all over Piazza Bra, the big plaza near L’Arena.  The following photos show the area around the plaza; to take the photos I’m standing in the middle of Piazza Bra, where there’s a small park with a fountain and trees. From this vantage point, you see the stalls from behind but that way you can also see all the buildings around the plaza.

Plus, I added an artsy black and white one, just for fun.

Enjoy.

Santa Lucia stands set up in front of Gran Gardia Buidling, Verona

Piazza Bra Fountain, Santa Lucia Day, Verona

L’Arena (left), City Hall (right) and Santa Lucia stalls, seen from the park in Piaaza Bra

L’Arena and the Stella Cometa star, Verona (B&W)