Candelara, in the province of Pesaro, is a small medieval village known above all for the Christmas candle market, which is taking place in these days, and will continue every weekend, until next December 17th. Started last November 25th, the original market attracts numerous exhibitors and visitors who come to Candelara to watch a one-of-a-kind show.
Every evening, for the entire duration of the market, the artificial light is turned off to let thousands of candles shine, creating an extremely evocative atmosphere. There are two scheduled shutdowns of the electric lighting, lasting 15 minutes each: at 17.30 pm and at 19.00 pm.
Twenty-year appointment
Candelara has hosted the candle market for twenty years. Various moments of shows and entertainment along the streets of the village are linked to this annual event: concerts, street artists, workshops for children, including one for the production of beeswax candles. To the delight of the little ones, there is also the Elves' Workshop, where they can give vent to their imagination using materials such as clay, wax, paper, wood and create decorations and figures related to Christmas. Furthermore, children can meet Santa Claus in his house and play with the pedal carousel.
In this edition, the festival hosts luminous stilt walkers, pixie musicians, jugglers and bagpipes. In the market there are also wrought iron sculptures adorned with hundreds of candles depicting the protagonists of the nativity scene. New this year is the mechanized nativity scene, located inside the Church of Santa Lucia with live demonstrations by artists who will create statuettes and accessories.
The over 70 wooden houses that make up the market, in addition to handmade candles in different shapes and smells, display Christmas decorations, local culinary products, wines, handcrafted objects. In the evening, the flames of the candles shine throughout the village, placed on the windowsills, on the balconies, on the porches, on the walls, which give a magical and festive atmosphere, ideal in this period that precedes the most awaited party of the year.
A village to visit
Candelara, which has just 1200 inhabitants, rises 180 meters above sea level and is flanked by olive groves, vineyards and oak groves. In addition to its landscapes, the town attracts visitors for its castle: to reach it you need to cross a brick bridge, which replaces an old wooden drawbridge. Inside the clock tower, you can see an intricate clockwork mechanism in action. Also noteworthy are the Church of S. Lucia and Villa Almerici, designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli.
(Photo: Pro loco di Candelara (Pesaro), Facebook page)
