On the 13th of December SAINT LUCIA arrives in Verona.

The Saint Lucia event is for lots of adults the best and intense child memory.
Who was Saint Lucia and how did the tradition which sees her giving presents start?
Between reality and legend we know that Lucia was a young rich girl from Syracuse, Sicily, who became martyr because she didn’t want to deny her Christian faith during the very strong Diocletian’s persecution in the IV century a.C.
Nowadays in Italy the tradition to celebrate Saint Lucia is strong in the area which once was the Venice Republic.
Here still lies her relic, stolen in 1204 in Constantinople during the forth crusade. In Venice Saint Lucia was very devoted and, once the Venice Republic concentrated more attention in the solid ground, this worship extended to the whole Veneto region.
The tradition to celebrate Saint Lucia in Veneto started around the XIII century a.C., and maybe the town where this tradition is stronger is Verona.

According to the legend in this town there was a terrible eyes epidemia, specially affecting children. The citizens decided then to do a pilgrimage barefoot till the Saint Lucia Church. But the kids, as it was very cold in December, didn’t want to go, so their parents had to convince them telling that once back home they will have found their shoes full of presents.
The miracle happened and since then the Saint Lucia party started!
Between the typical cakes of this event you can find the “Saint Lucia pastafrolle”, with different shapes: stars, horses, hearts, and the very yummy “Mandorlato”, a Veronese variation to the torrone.

In Verona Saint Lucia is celebrated for already a century with a traditional Market, which lasts 3 days till the 13th of December, and takes place in the main town square, Piazza Bra, which gets completely packaged with stands, games and sweets of any kind.
The amazing Bra Square scenery is completed every year with the Christmas Big Star that comes out from the Arena Amphitheatre, landing in the square, inviting people to visit the beautiful Christ’s Nativity Exhibition.
Have a good time with Santa Lucia!