Monthly appointment with Collecting in Florence, where the monthly market of all that is collectible takes place outdoors on the banks of the Arno in the Tuscany Hall car park in Florence. Among the various stands, enthusiasts will be able to find books, jewellery, small pieces of furniture, plates, candlesticks, clocks, chandeliers, dolls, porcelain, coins, records, DVDs, etc.

TUSCANY HALL Parking area Via Fabrizio De Andrè

Open from 10.00 to 19.00 in the parking area of the Theater.

FREE ENTRY.

The famous Antiques Fair of Arezzo is one of the most important and largest antique fairs in Italy, held every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday.

Pictures and paintings, small jewels, ancient and modern furniture, carpets, clocks, silverware, toys, books and vintage prints, collection stamps, musical instruments, gramophones and radios: it is easy to be charmed and indulge in discovering one of the biggest and oldest Italian Antiques Fairs. 

In 1968 a famous antiquarian and collector of Arezzo, Ivan Bruschi, gave birth to this fair which still today fills with its curious bric-a-brac the old town centre, its streets, yards, Vasari Loggia and wonderful Piazza Grande, every first weekend of the month.

For two days the town changes into a multicolor scenery of treasures waiting to be discovered by tourists and collectors: over five hundreds exhibitors from all over Italy meet here with their furniture and objects of all periods and styles, while antiquarians and restorers have multiplied their business, opening their shops during the fair and showing their best items. Experts of antiques and modern antique collecting find here plenty of particular specializations, such as, for instance, scientific tools, Art-Nouveau stained glass windows, Art Deco furnishing.

First Sunday of the month: museums free entrance

It is a very important event involving all the State Museums with specials and free tickets access. Therefore, if you plan to visit Florence, Pisa, Lucca or any other Tuscan town our countless masterpieces without spending one Euro!

For instance in Florence you can visit: the Uffizi Gallery, Academy Museum, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, and many other attractions. All of them free of charge!

List of  State Museums in Tuscany HERE. 

In Pistoia, the second Saturday and Sunday of the month an antique fair is held which attracts  many dealers from all over Tuscany. Here you can find very valuable antiques: furniture, majolica, porcelain, jewelery, clocks, coins, old lacework, crystal goblets and profane and religious period paintings.

On the stalls you can find clothing, utensils and ethnic products, as well as magazines, comics, used garments and other items from the past. 

The market takes place in the so called Cattedrale - not to confuse with the real Cathedral - (Via Pertini) - eccept July and August.

There are about 100 exhibitors who animate the historic city center with various kinds of antiques every second Saturday and Sunday of the month except July and August.

You will find ceramics, glassware and cutlery for a romantic table setting and a very good range of embroidered linen (perhaps an untouched trousseau from a failed marriage). Also sepia paintings, watercolours, vintage  postcards (full of insight into how we lived in the past and complete with shaky handwriting), out-of-print books for the attentive book collector, silver and gold coins from every corner of the globe and much, much more.

Where: Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri, Piazza Garibaldi

From November 23th to December 22th, 2024, the enchanting atmosphere of the holiday season will come to life again in the picturesque setting of Piazza S. Croce in Florence, with the return of the Historic Christmas Market. This market, one of the first in Italy in terms of tradition and history, will welcome visitors and enthusiasts to a unique experience.

Over fifty stalls, set up in characteristic wooden houses, will bring to Florence the scents and tastes typical of Christmas with a wide selection of artistic craftsmanship and traditional foods from all over Europe. This is an extraordinary opportunity to savor delicious gastronomic specialties, warm up with hot beverages, and browse through the stalls in search of original handmade gift ideas and Christmas decorations.

The market will also offer a packed calendar of events, with a special focus on entertainment for the little ones. Visitors can enjoy the presence of Santa's cottage, where children's games will be organized, and they will be entertained by live music performances.

Opening hours:

- Monday - Thursday: from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of Christmas in Florence, amidst tradition, fun, and gastronomic delights!

The "Gran Cammino di Natale" (Great Christmas Walk) is the Christmas event that will take place in Montecatini Terme from November 17, 2024, to January 7, 2025. This ideal path will guide visitors through various areas of the city, offering activities and attractions for both adults and children.

Full program available on the pictures.

Lucca Magical Christmas 2024: A Unique Experience of Tradition, Innovation, and Holiday Magic

The third edition of Lucca Magical Christmas is set to enchant citizens and visitors with an even richer and more captivating program than previous years.  

From November 23, 2024, to January 6, 2025, Lucca will transform into a festive wonderland, blending Christmas traditions with the beauty of its historic city center to create an unforgettable magical atmosphere.

Christmas Markets: A Journey Through Flavors and Traditions

One of this year’s main highlights is the debut of the Christmas Market with wooden chalets in Piazza Napoleone, a true Christmas village featuring local products, handicrafts, and sweets, running from November 23 to January 6.

Other markets will enrich the festive calendar:

- Palazzo Sani, Via Fillungo 121: The “Meraki Market” on December 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, and 24.  

- Piazza Anfiteatro: Special event dedicated to chocolate from November 29 to December 1.  

- Piazza San Giusto and Piazza XX Settembre: “Arti e Mestieri” fair on December 7, 8, 21, 22, 27, and 28.  

- Piazza San Frediano: Artisan market from December 18 to 24.  

- Piazza San Francesco: Traditional Christmas fair from December 8 to January 6.  

Ice Park Lucca: The Magic of Ice Skating

For the first time, the Ice Park Lucca will be set up at the Antico Caffè delle Mura square. The ice skating rink will be inaugurated on Friday, November 22, and open daily starting November 23. Skate under the stars or in daylight, surrounded by the historic beauty of the city, complete with entertainment and shows for the public.

Art Installations and Spectacular Lights

Squares and streets in the historic center will sparkle with over ten luminous installations, some designed by internationally renowned artists and designers like Emiliana Martinelli, Michelle Boucquillon, and Francesco Zavattari. Stunning Christmas light projections will illuminate key squares, adding charm and magic to the festive atmosphere.

The Christmas Factory and Santa’s House

Starting December 7, Vicolo San Carlo will transform into the Christmas Factory, a dedicated space for children featuring free workshops, creative activities, and the chance to meet Santa Claus in his magical room. Young visitors can write letters to Santa, hand-deliver them, and take a keepsake photo. Opening days are December 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, from 3 PM to 7 PM.

Nativity Scenes and Traditions

The tradition of nativity scenes takes center stage with a route through churches and historic buildings in the city center:

- Loggiato del Palazzo Pretorio: A Nativity scene designed by Francesco Zavattari.  

- Chiesa di Santa Maria Nera: A historic 17th-century Nativity scene.  

- Chiesa di San Benedetto in Gottella: Artistic Nativity with scenic lighting and music.  

- Baluardo San Colombano: Nativity set up outside the namesake venue.  

- Sotterraneo della piattaforma San Frediano: “Fiat Pax,” featuring antique plaster figurines, curated by Historica Lucense.  

- National Museum of Villa Guinigi: A special focus on Nativities in the museum’s collection of grand paintings.  

AtmoSphere Circus: Christmas Becomes a Spectacle

For the first time in Lucca, the AtmoSphere Circus will take place at Piazzale Don Baroni from December 20 to January 19. This animal-free circus will present a unique show featuring 3D holographic animals and a 360° stage. A blend of innovation and tradition promises an unforgettable holiday experience.

Guided Tours and Thematic Walks

Lucca’s tourist guides offer original and engaging tours to explore the city immersed in its holiday spirit. For more details, visit the Tourism.Lucca website under the Stories & Treasures of Lucca section.

For full details and the complete program, visit the official Tourism.Lucca website.

Pistoia lights up with magic for an unforgettable Christmas! From December 1, 2024, to January 6, 2025, the historic center will host:

🎁 Christmas Markets: crafts, local products, and plenty of gift ideas.

⛸️ Ice Skating Rink: fun for all ages in Piazza San Francesco.

🌟 Spectacular Lights: a dazzling light trail illuminating the city's streets.

🎶 Music and Performances: concerts, choirs, and must-see theater events.

🎅 Santa's Village: games and workshops for the little ones!

Complete program:

☞ https://pistoiacittadelnatale.com/

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, December 7 and 21

from 7:00 PM to midnight

For an evening of pure relaxation, pamper yourself with a soothing bath under the stars in the thermal pool with rejuvenating whirlpools and

reinvigorate yourself with a steam bath in Europe's largest thermal cave at 34°C.

Includes:

Steam bath in natural thermal cave at 34°C (20 minutes)

Bathing under the stars in the 750 sqm thermal pool at 34°C with underwater whirlpools

Bathing in the Bioaquam thermal path at 34°C with rejuvenating whirlpools

Access to the Thermarium area

Access to the "Bioaquam Pavilion" the new covered and heated relaxation area of 310 m2

Lounge music

€35.00 by reservation

Bioaquam Café poolside open with à la carte menu

(payment upon consumption)

For more information, call 

+39 0572/9077992 or email terme@grottagiustispa.com

https://terme.grottagiustispa.com

Second among the antique-dealers' market places of Tuscany for the number of its exhibitors and length of life, the Antique market of Lucca can boast of a solid tradition of quality and reliability thanks to professional antiquarians of high prestige who have always been an important presence in town. 

At the third weekend of each month (on Saturday and Sunday), from 8 am to 7 pm, Lucca opens its gates for a joyful event involving a large portion of the historical centre: from Piazza S. Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and Via Del Battistero - the historical antique dealers' street- ‚ to Piazza San Giusto, and Piazza S. Giovanni up to Piazza Bernardini. It is a gorgeous display of colorful stalls offering not only past vestiges of remarkable artistic value, but also traces of souvenirs impressed on a post-card, on a book, on a knick-knack or on an ornament. 

Furniture, clothes, fabrics, paintings, rare components of old instruments, lamps and chandeliers, old working tools, records..... a wide pattern of old or antique objects‚ patiently gathered and collected after explorations which

are getting more and more difficult. All these things speak to both the tourist and the lover, of a world, which has gone, but not willing to be forgotten yet.

Two unforgettable days around the most charming

streets of the town. It is Art facing Art, History meeting History. A really unique occasion to know Lucca better and taste the pleasure of peeping through the stalls in search of something beautiful to take home and - why not?- probably also making a good bargain! 

Antiques market, vintage clothing, collectibles, crafts and home accessories. 

9 am - 8 pm 

Piazza S. Maria delle Carceri

Info: +39 3483396638

Collecting in Piazza

Antique Collector's Market in Piazza San Francesco.

At this monthly market you can browse the stalls for small antiques, handicrafts, as well as furniture, collectibles, minerals, rocks, and more.  

Where:  Prato , Piazza San Francesco
  

From 9am to 7 pm

The Sacred Belt of the Prato Cathedral is a thin strip of green fabric with gold brocades and a green tassel and band at the ends. As told in an ancient oriental apocryphal text after the Blessed Virgin's death St. Thomas was carried by angels to the mount of Olives; there he contemplated the Virgin while she was taken up into the Heaven, and received the gift of the belt in proof of the event. According to Prato medieval tradition the sacred belt was then entrusted to a priest and preserved by his descendants. After the first crusade, a Prato pilgrim of modest origins called Michele, fell in love with Maria, the daughter of an oriental priest and married her in secret, against her father's wish and received as dowry the "Sacred Belt" in a small basket made of rushes. After returning to Prato around 1141, Michele spoke to no one about the holy relic and only on his death bed (1172), he donated it to the provost of the nearby church of St. Stephen. The sacred Belt furthermore was considered the most valuable treasure of the entire city, so much so that its public display was established by the bylaws of Commune which still today has in custody a set of the keys required to take it out of the altar. Up to the end of 13th century the holy relic was kept close to the high altar but in 1346 it moved to the left of the main entrance of the ancient church and later Cathedral where in 1386-90  was built, on a project by Lorenzo di Filippo, the chapel that stores the holy relic. The chapel is decorated with frescoes of Stories of the Virgin and of the belt (1392-95), a series of amazing figurative unity painted by Agnolo Gaddi with a faultless technique and luminous colors. On the corner of the façade is the amazing pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo which was finished in 1438 and created for the display of the Sacred Belt in order to show it to the congregation gathered in the Cathedral square. 

Currently, the Exhibition of the Girdle is held for Christmas, Easter, May 1st, August 15th, and in the most solemn manner on September 8th, coinciding with the ancient Fair and the Historical Procession at 6 PM.

Arti e Mestieri is an arts and crafts market in the historic center of Lucca, with a big number of exhibitors that meet every last weekend of the month in Piazza San Giusto, Piazza Cittadella and Piazza XX Settembre with many traditional and original products from Tuscany.

At Arti e Mestieri there are ceramists, painters, sculptors, leather, glass and papier-mâché artisans, weavers, jewelers, cabinet makers, seamstresses and embroiderers, knitting and crochet experts. The artisans-artists offer their exclusive products in a colorful market: bijoux in silver, ceramic and crochet, natural products for body care, fountain pens worked on the lathe, bags, belts and leather bracelets, painted stones, scented lavender, splendid paintings and sculptures.