The famous old lady called Befana and beloved by all Italian children is coming to Italy!

With her old tatty shoes, this funny and lovely old lady has always made children, teens and adults very happy, bringing sweets, candies and chocolates in her multicolored socks!

This year, you will have the chance to see the Befana and to celebrate her in several Italian cities and villages, which want to go on with traditions.

For instance, in Rome there will be the 25^th edition of the beloved event “Viva la Befana” (“Long Live the Befana“), the traditional historic and folkloristic costumed parade which will bring to the capital many musical bands, folkloristic groups, in a historical commemoration with hundreds people who will parade following the Wise Men and the Befana along Via della Conciliazione.

In addition, in Borghetto Santo Spirito, a little village in the province of Savona (Region of Liguria), there will be a really funny event: the election of “Miss Befana 2010″, a

Where are you gonna spend this New Year’s Eve?

In the Belpaese, you will be spoilt for choice! We would like to remind all our visitors the best events and parties organized in the most beautiful Italian cities, where you will find great celebrations, fireworks, music at full volume, dances and delicious wine and food.

The cosmopolitan city of Turin, in the region of Piedmont, in 2010 will be elected “European Capital of Youth”. In order to show such a merit, the young city of Turin for the New Year’s Eve 2010 organizes a special evening with loud music, a concert which will take place in Piazza Vittorio Veneto from 9.30 pm, an event dedicated to people under 35! The absolute protagonists of the night will be the famous English group Groove Armada and the American group Juliette Lewis and New Romantics, followed by many other artists until midnight, when it will be time for spectacular fireworks.

In Milan on the other hand,

What about celebrating this New Year’s Eve in Venice?

Once again, the fabulous and charming floating city awaits you all at the romantic appointment dedicated to lovers, and why not, to whoever is looking for his/her soul mate!

In fact, on December 31^st 2009, “Love” comes back in Venice, the New Year’s Eve celebration which will take place in the famous squares Piazza San Marco and Piazza Ferretto, during a night which will warm up your hearts.

As usual, the event schedules a big kiss in unison which will bring joy, peace and love, a cute gesture to get the new year started! Such an event will draw the whole world attention, an unforgettable night

The last film exhibition of 2009 and the first of 2010 will take place in Milan in company with Stanley Kubrick and Charlie Chaplin.

At Fondazione Cineteca Italiana in Milan, precisely at Spazio Oberdan located in Viale Vittorio Veneto, there will be several interesting appointments waiting for you with the most famous pieces of cinema. Yes, because the cineteca has scheduled a rich program dedicated to all big-screen movies addicts.

In fact, Wednesday 23^rd December 2009 will be a day entirely dedicated to the master of silent film: Charlie Chaplin, with the special event “Un brindisi di Natale con Charlie Chaplin” (“A Christmas Toast with Charlie Chaplin”), an original way of cineteca‘s to wish a merry Christmas to all the cinema addicts, in company with the most famous figure in cinema history, a face never to be forgotten.

In the afternoon, the program schedules the screenings of two Chaplin’s masterpieces, “The Great Dictator” and “City Lights”, whereas in the evening, there will be 4 extremely rare films

Until January 15^th 2010, you have time to visit the wonderful retrospective dedicated to the artist Jacque Villeglè entitled “Vacanze Romane” (“Roman Holidays”), set by Dominique Stella at Mucciaccia Gallery in Rome.

In fact for the first time ever, since last October 8^th visitors can marvel at 75 his works in the rooms of Mucciaccia Gallery: dècollages d’affiches dating back to 1960s ‘til nowadays which keep billboards, adverts and manifestos’ strength and use it in turn to make up and create his dècollages which cancel and remove the message and the communication strength of such adverts.

He angrily dismantles the catch phrases, the images

Hey folks, the moment has come!

With no doubts people love and hate them, but the season of Christmas markets has come and it will be in all the Italian cities!

Colored lights, stands full of sweets, traditions and handicrafts products, toys and decorations will be placed along the streets and in the most famous (and not) squares in Italy. So, get ready to snoop around, nibbling and why not, to purchase the first Christmas gifts!

From Sicily to Valle d’Aosta, Italy in this period is full of such nice markets which welcome many Italians and foreign visitors, who come here to just take a look at the stalls rich of curious and original things. The list is endless, but we want to remind you the most unique noteworthy ones.

So…how not to mention the very famous Christams markets typical of

What’s better than spending Christmas time in the charming and historical Rome?

Holidays are coming and this could be a perfect occasion to strolling around the streets of Rome in the footsteps of history and to discover the great cultural heritage and the several traditions, having fun with the many events offered by the Italian capital.

From December 8^th to January 6^th, the city will offer visitors a wide range of initiatives and activities organized by the Municipality of Rome with the promising slogan “Roma Città Natale. Una festa unica al mondo” (“Rome – the City of Christmas. A celebration in a class by itself”).

The famous square Piazza Navona this year as well will be filled with stalls on the occasion of the traditional and very expected Christmas market, where the absolute protagonist will be

The year 2009 is ending, but Milan‘s passion for Japan is still alive.
Infact, over the last 12 months “Samurai” and “Monet and Japan” already took place at Royal Palace in Milan, both of them with great success.

Now it’s time for “Japan. Power and Splendour (1568-1868)”, on the calendar in the same location from 6th December 2009 to 7th March 2010.
A refined exhibition, which will give the possibility to marvel at one hundred of precious works of art, coming from the most important Japanese museums: elegant ceramics, paintings on  paper and silk, decorated textiles, masks and armours… in homeland considered as true national treasures!

All the works on display were created during two crucial moments of Japanese history: the periods Momoyama (1568-1615) and Edo (1615-1868). About three centuries marked by the fall of the ancient society, traditionally based on the power of nobles and Samurai, and the gradual rise of a bourgeois middle class, rich but still excluded from the political power.

They were the new producers and consumers of art, and they are the protagonists of the works on show in Milan. This exhibition narrates us vices and

Snowflakes and polar bears, sparkling lights and gifts, reindeers and elfs assistants of Santa Claus… Is it Lapland? No, it’s Florence!

From 5th to 13th December 2009, the Stazione Leopolda will become a magic place hosting Florence Noel, a trade fair dedicated to Christmas time and its lovers. A perfect occasion not only for shopping, but also to be completely overwhelmed by an atmosphere of feast, to make children happy and to become kids again.

In fact, the exhibition stands will be set in a really evocative scenography, full of special effects.
In the outside front area an exciting never-stopping artificial snowfall will whiten the firs carried from the mountains and the visitors’ heads looking up.
You will also be amazed by “Polar Ice”, in which the North pole and its inhabitants are represented with 5 kilometers of Christmas lights.

But the best has yet to come: at Florence Noel you will have the chance to visit Santa Claus’s house, perfectly reproduced, and you may also meet Father Christmas in person!
Haven’t you asked yet your present? No problem! “Letters Point” is at your disposal,

On the 7th of  December, even the frenetic Milan stops every year to celebrate its patron saint: Saint Ambrose, who was its bishop in Medioeval times.

This is a real “holy” event, not only for its religious nature, but especially because the citizens of Milan are really envolved in it! In particular they woudn’t miss for any reason the “Oh Bej Oh Bej” fair, which traditionally takes place exactly in the period of the patron saint’s celebrations, and this year from 5th to 8th of December.

This is one of the most ancient events in Milan. The legend tells that its strange name “Oh Bej Oh Bej” comes from children’s astonished exclamations (the expression, in fact, means something like “Oh how great, how great!”), amazed by the wonderful presents given to the city by the Pope Pio IV in 1510 . The fair is still the reign of surprises for children and for adults as well, thanks to more than 400 stalls full of every kind of objects and to an overwhelming atmosphere of feast.

Traditionally, here people buy Christmas decorations, eat hot chestnuts and drink “vin brulè” (hot spiced wine), perfect against the ice-cold of Milan.

In the past, the fair was settled in the sorroundings of the medioeval Basilica of Saint Ambrose, one of the most ancient churches in Milan, which was erected in 379.
Some years ago the location of the event was changed, because of the overcrowding of the alleys near to the church, which was dangerous for visitors. Now it takes place inside