A Christmas in the South. It is not just the title of a cinepanettone but an invitation to those who love mild temperatures and the atmosphere of Advent to stay in the low latitudes even in December.
Pearl of the Campania coast, Salerno is the perfect destination for the Christmas period, thanks to suggestive luminous works, breathtaking views and medieval masterpieces
The streets and squares of Salerno, in fact, they host until January 21st, every day, from 17pm, Luci d'Artista. En plein air exhibition of luminous works of art, this year entitled One thousand and one nights and inspired by oriental fairy tales and enchanted stories of Shahrazad. With nine thematic itineraries, the exhibition is spread over sixteen attractions, including the Enchanted Garden of the Villa Comunale with the sparkling train for the little ones, the pedestrian course with Cascades of stars and planets, il Large tree in Piazza Portanova, Ice Forest in Pastena , Santa's sleigh in Torrione.
For those who do not suffer from vertigo, do not miss a ride on the Ferris wheel, the twin of the Parisian one. Place de la Concorde. Forty-two heated red gondolas offer an exciting experience overlooking the gulf and the historic center. And again: you can stroll among the typical wooden houses installed on the Lungomare di Trieste, breathing the atmosphere of the Christmas artisan and food and wine markets of the North.
All with a touch of the sea: i sand cribs in the Stazione Marittima.
From the sea to the historic center
Start exploring Salerno from the splendid gulf. Through the paved streets perpendicular to the promenade, you go up towards the city center. During the day, a succession of famous shops and small artisan shops. In the evening, a swarm of lights and tables until late at night. Also for this "vitazzuola" atmosphere, the city is sleepy at least until 10 in the morning. The first area of the city to wake up is the historic center. The "housewives " they put colorful sheets and pillows on the windowsill and hang out the laundry whose scent spreads along the street, mixing with that of the coffee.
Then go up to the top of the historic center and reach the Garden of the Minerva. It is here that the doctors of the Salernitana School, the first in Europe (400th century), came to study the healing powers of plants. Almost 28.000 cultivated species, a thousand square meters of surface, two natural springs of water channeled from the highest level with a medieval system, XNUMX visitors a year. These are the numbers of a place steeped in history and science.
Going back down to the historic center, do not miss the Church of San Pietro a Corte. To access you will have to climb a steep staircase. The ceiling, painted on a huge canvas of the eighteenth century, the left wall of the eighth century and the right baroque one are what remains of a treasure chest of precious art.
Vietri, home of ceramics
A weekend in Salerno cannot fail to end with a visit to the nearby one Vietri sul Mare. Homeland of ceramics, with a tradition that has its roots in Roman times and which reached its peak in the sixteenth century, the era of the substantial commissions of the Neapolitan court.
Bright colors, bold brushstrokes and Mediterranean motifs enchanted German artists in the XNUMXs. Their collections are exhibited in Museum of Ceramics in Raito.
Before getting lost in the hundreds of small shops in the alleys, visit the most famous production and sales place in the city: Solimene Artistic Ceramics.
