{:en}Christmas village, concerts of sacred music, initiatives for children and families, book presentations, visits to cribs, sports events, the winter swimming competition, a very interesting art-music exhibition and, as per tradition, a sparkling New Year's Eve party in the square to greet the old year and a fireworks display to welcome the new year. Loano is getting ready to dive into the Christmas atmosphere with “Christmas Enchantments,” the packed calendar of events organized by the Municipality's Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports to brighten up the holidays for Lovran residents and guests.
“Once again this year,‘ explains the mayor of Loano Luigi Pignocca, ’thanks to the fundamental collaboration with the associations and the many realities of our city, we managed to prepare an absolutely rich and varied calendar of Christmas events. For our administration, investing in tourism is fundamental, and therefore also for 2018 we did not miss anything: from the Magic Christmas Village market to the exhibition ”Voices on Canvas' to the New Year's Eve in the square live on M2O to the many other initiatives, large and small, that will accompany our fellow citizens and guests until January and even beyond. My thanks go to the Department of Tourism and all the offices, which have managed to come up with a unique program of events for these holidays in our province as well.".
“The ‘tourist village’ of Loano never closes, not even at Christmas,” adds Councillor for Tourism, Culture and Sports Remo Zaccaria. "From the end of November to the end of January, our city will be enlivened by many cultural, sports and entertainment events capable of satisfying all tastes, from those of families to those of the youngest. Practically no day goes by without an event or demonstration to brighten the atmosphere of this already so special time of year. We are confident that once again this year our city will be a must-see destination for anyone who wishes to spend the holiday season with joy and lightheartedness.".
It begins on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 5:30 p.m. with the opening of the eighth Magic Christmas Village market, sponsored by the Loano Multipurpose Cultural Center Association. A real Christmas village with a Northern European flavor has been recreated inside the San Josemaria Escrivà Gardens: the little wooden houses will offer many gift ideas such as handmade Christmas items, cribs, candles, collectible toys, souvenir photos and personalized calendars with Santa Claus, bijoux, art objects, paintings, educational games and local products. Not forgetting street-food delicacies with which to accompany shopping among the little houses.
The lighted decorations gracing the space were handmade by a number of volunteers, guided by the creativity and skill of Giovina Mannelli, and alone are a reason to visit the market. Santa Claus will be waiting for children in his cozy little house to take a photo with them and to collect Christmas letters. Under an enchanted tree, an elf makeup artist will play with the little ones. In the center of the fountain pool, a sparkling Santa sleigh will be available for anyone who wishes to take a picture.
Framed by a fairy-tale setting, the market will offer an entertainment program for the whole family. The shopping afternoons will be accompanied by musical events and animations for the little ones. The rich entertainment program will feature the exceptional jugglers of “Circus Uncertain,” who will perform every starting at 4 p.m. every Saturday in December. On Wednesday, Dec. 26, also from 4 p.m., the Tazmania association will put on an engaging show with magic, soap bubbles and balloons. Sunday, Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. entertainment will be by Teo Chirico's Modern Jazz Dance association. On Tuesday, Jan. 1, new children's show by the Tazmania association. It closes on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. with the arrival of the Befana, accompanied by “ciapellette” and lots of music and fun.
The Magical Christmas Village will be open on Dec. 1 and 2, Dec. 7 to 9, Dec. 15 and 16, and Dec. 21 to Jan. 6 from 3 to 7:30 p.m.
Sealing the “official” start of the holidays will be the “Thousand Lights of the Holidays” lighting ceremony scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6. At 5 p.m. Mayor Luigi Pignocca will light the big tree in Piazza Italia and the splendid artistic illuminations that will festively dress the entire city until January, with the big “three-dimensional ball” in Piazza Rocca among its highlights. The lighting of the lights will be accompanied by songs by pupils of the Loano-Boissano Comprehensive Institute (from 2:30 p.m.) and a concert by “U Gunbu de Löa-Verzi.”.
This year's “Christmas Enchantments” will be enriched by “Voices on Canvas,” the art exhibition that from December 7, 2018 to January 6, 2019 will find space in the Mosaic Room of Palazzo Doria at Loano. The exhibition, promoted by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports in collaboration with Dimensione Eventi, has been curated by Massimo Cotto, a well-known journalist, radio host, music critic, cultural councilor of the City of Asti and, on this occasion, also the creator of the entire project.
“Voices on Canvas” is the world's largest collection of artworks created by extraordinary artists known to the general public for another art: that of music. Great names of international music of all time are the protagonists of a collection of more than 150 works collected by Massimo Cotto over more than 20 years. Throughout his 20-year career, Cotto has asked singers, musicians, and artists of different characters and styles to produce a work of their own. Objective? To give life to an exhibition project with charitable purposes, in aid of different realities that “make life better for others.”.
The collection is then embellished with works by TV and radio personalities such as journalist Vincenzo Mollica, writer and author Giorgio Faletti and Nobel laureate Dario Fo. Embracing the charitable purpose behind the art project, Dimensione Eventi will donate proceeds from visitors“ ”free offerings’ to the DopoDomani Onlus association. The exhibition will be open daily (except Dec. 25, 2018 and Jan. 1, 2019) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free of charge.
Once again this year the parking lot of Marina di Loano will be home to a splendid ice skating rink open to young and old alike. The young and inexperienced alike will be able to try their hand at “skating on ice” thanks to “penguins” who will help beginners keep their balance. Making the experience of ice skating a stone's throw from the sea even more special will be the enchanting aristic lighting that will festively decorate the entire Loano marina until January.
On Saturday, Dec. 22, starting at 6 p.m. at PalaGarassini will be held the “Solidarity Party” with a charitable purpose organized every year by the municipal administration with the collaboration of numerous local organizations. Compared to the previous two editions, this year the party will have a completely renewed and even more engaging “format.”.
On Friday, Dec. 28, the 32nd edition of the Winter Swimming Endeavor will be held: starting at 10 a.m. at the Medusa Baths, dozens of avid swimmers will test themselves by tackling the traditional end-of-year “plunge into the sea.”.
The month of December will end with the extraordinary New Year's Eve in Italia Square, which this year will be broadcast live on national radio on M2O frequencies and will feature three fantastic DJs as guests, Renèe la Bulgara, Chiara Robiony and Andrea Mattei. The party, organized by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the City of Loano with the collaboration of Dimensione Eventi will kick off on Dec. 31 at 10:15 p.m. in Piazza Italia, right in front of the Palazzo Doria City Hall: this is where the scenic stage-truck will be placed, which will be the centerpiece of the evening. In case of bad weather, on Dec. 30 the organizers will decide whether to move the event inside the sports hall, so as to ensure that the party can take place in any weather condition.
Opening the event will be the band Discomania Planet Dance, which will offer a show of the best dance music of all time full of dynamism, involvement and professionalism, all key ingredients for a perfect evening of fun. Discomania Planet Dance faithfully reproduce live the legendary tracks from the golden age of disco. Each of their shows is an explosive party of fun and dance, with precise and pressing performances, mixed setlists and an appealing and colorful look that reproduces in every detail the typical style of that fantastic musical period.
The Discomania Planet Dance band will accompany the audience until a few minutes before the chimes of midnight, when the countdown will be handed over, complete with live national radio broadcast, to three DJs from a major Italian dance radio station: M20. Announcing the first minute of 2019 will be Renèe La Bulgara, Andrea Mattei and Chiara Robiony. The evening will continue again in the company of Discomania Planet Dance until around 2 a.m., when the show will end.
The celebration will continue on Jan. 1, with spectacular fireworks scheduled for about 6:30 pm.
Between December 2018 and January 2019, the eighth edition of “Books under the Tree,” the book review that every Christmas presents the best literary productions of the last period, will take place. It begins on Sunday, December 2, at 6 p.m. with a “marathon” dedicated to Elena Ferrante: after the episodes broadcast on TV and premiered at the Venice Film Festival, the quadrilogy of the “Amica geniale” will be presented. This will be followed by an aperitif and “spectacular” readings by the spontaneous group of readers #cosavuoichetilegga. On Saturday, 8 at 4:30 p.m. there will be a presentation of “Two Friends,” authored by Stefano Carrara Sutour and published in collaboration with the Lodanum Cultural Association and the contribution and sponsorship of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the City of Loano. The volume offers a wide-ranging and detailed portrait of 19th-century Loano maritime entrepreneurship through the recollection of the events of Giuseppe Carrara, the author's great-grandfather, and Gio Batta Chiozza, his fraternal friend and business partner.
On Sunday, December 9 at 4:30 p.m. there will be the presentation of “Gli ultimi passi del Sindacone” by Andrea Vitali (Garzanti) while on Saturday, December 15 at 4:30 p.m. it will be the turn of “Un lavoro sporco” by Bruno Morchio (Garzanti). Saturday, Dec. 22 at 4:30 p.m. will be “Barchezandu in te Loa” with Riccardo Ferrari, who will recount the figure of Professor Antonio Arecco, his activities as a historian, researcher, scholar and devotee of the local dialect. On Saturday, Dec. 29 at 4:30 p.m., it will be the turn of “Poems and Music,” with readings by classic, contemporary and local authors in the sweetness of the Christmas season, with music by maestro Roberto Sinito.
Last appointment Saturday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. with the presentation of “L'ultimo giorno di sole” by Giorgio Faletti (Baldini and Castoldi). Roberta Bellesini will present her husband's posthumous book, which before being a book was (and is) a play written and conceived for actress Chiara Buratti. This will be followed by an aperitif and the play “L'ultimo giorno di sole,” written by Giorgio Faletti and performed by Chiara Buratti. Graziella Frasca Gallo (the Gazzetta gieffegi of Loano) will conduct the meetings, with musical and vocal accompaniment by maestro Roberto Sinito. All meetings will conclude with refreshments.
Books will also feature prominently in the “Sacred Readings” to be held in the Church of Our Lady of Loreto on Sunday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 23 at 4:30 p.m. Graziella Frasca Gallo will offer poems with sacred and Christmas themes with musical accompaniment by pianist Paola Arecco and maestro Roberto Sinito's dodecagonal guitar, respectively.
During the holiday season, the “Monte Carmo” Youth Tourist Center, with the support of a licensed tour guide, will accompany tourists and residents who want to learn more about Loano to discover the city's “Churches and Nativity Scenes.” Tours will be conducted on Thursday, Dec. 27, and Thursday, Jan. 3, in both cases meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of Palazzo Doria.
The appointments of “Loano not only sea,” the program curated by the Loano section of Cai that promotes hiking as an opportunity for socialization, personal well-being, knowledge and appreciation of the territory, will continue during the Christmas period. Every Thursday, Loano's experienced Cai guides will accompany participants to discover nature and the most beautiful views of our territory and beyond. On Thursday, December 6, an excursion to discover the hamlets of Garlenda is scheduled, while on Thursday, December 13, the destination of the outing will be Taggia and the Sanctuary of Lampedusa. The last outing of the year will be held on Thursday, December 20, with a day trip to the refuge of Pian delle Bosse.
Enriching the cultural program of the holidays will be three lectures by the Unitre of Loano to be held at the “Antonio Arecco” Civic Library in Kursaal Palace: on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2:30 p.m. Silvina Dell'Isola will speak on “Digital Communication and Privacy”; on Saturday, Jan. 12, Giuseppe Corvaglia will discuss “The Evolution of Neuroscience: from the Dawn of Man to the Present Day”; and on Saturday, Jan. 26, Stefania Lanaro will analyze “The Fear of Being Ugly. Body image and its surroundings.”.
In the “Christmas Enchantments,” music will also find its place. A concert by soprano Melissa Briozzo is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 29, at 4 p.m. in the parish of St. John the Baptist; Saturday, Jan. 5, at 5 p.m. in the oratory of Our Lady of the Rosary, a new appointment with “The Concerts of the Turchins , Music of the Soul” featuring “The Strings of Zinaida.”.
But the events of the Christmas season do not end there. On Sunday, November 25, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Corso Roma and Piazza Mazzini will host the traditional St. Andrew's Fair. Throughout the day dozens of stalls will offer the best men's and women's clothing, underwear, footwear, leather goods, household linens, gifts, toys, food and wine products and much more.
From Friday, Nov. 30 to Sunday, Dec. 2, PalaGarassini will host the Italian Paralympic Short Course Swimming Championships, organized in cooperation with the Italian Paralympic Committee.
On Monday, Nov. 26, the Kursaal Palace Civic Library will host the presentation of “Adour's Suitcase” by Zita Dazzi (Il Castoro Editions), a short story that touches on fundamental themes such as migration, friendship, diversity and equality, acceptance and human rights. Following the presentation, journalist Grazia Noseda will hold a writing workshop entitled “How do you write a book review?” A select group of about 15 fifth graders will be able to participate in two-hour workshop during which they will learn how to write a book “review.” The event is part of the “In class with the author” project, which aims to “read a book, learn more about a topic, get to know the author.” The initiative is part of the “LOA Reads at School” project, which aims to boost the culture of reading among the city's elementary and middle school students.
From Friday, Dec. 7 to Sunday, Dec. 9, the PalaGuzzetti will host the ballet, contemporary, modern and hip hop stage “Liguria Dance Inside” curated by Asd Move Up. From Friday, Jan. 4 to Sunday, Jan. 6, a gymnastics internship will be held at PalaGarassini by Asd Gymnica Loano.
On Sunday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Jan. 13, however, the usual appointment with the Antiques and Collectibles Market will return, an event dedicated to antiques and collectibles that will kick off at 8 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. under the arcades of Corso Europa and in the nearby “Bestoso” gardens. Here more than 40 exhibitors will present a selected collection of furniture, silver, paintings, carpets and objects with an antique flavor and full of charm. The market will feature curiosities and “grandma's things,” as well as collectibles and modern antiques.
From Thursday, Dec. 27 to Saturday, Dec. 29, the City of Loano Youth Soccer Tournament - “Ettore Mussi” Trophy, organized by Asd Loanesi San Francesco and reserved for the Pulcini and Piccoli Amici categories, will be held at PalaGarassini.
Sunday, Dec. 30, at 4 p.m. in Piazza Italia is a renewed appointment with “Winter Tales,” a musical initiative promoted by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports and organized by the Compagnia dei Curiosi Association with the collaboration of the “Bala in riva a u ma” association.
The last event will be held on Sunday, January 27, at 3:30 p.m. in Piazza Italia with the opening of the 28th edition of CarnevaLöa, the big event organized by the Vecchia Loano association with the contribution of the Loano Municipality's Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports. Kicking off the festivities will be the “handing over of the keys” ceremony by the mayor of Loano, Luigi Pignocca, to Beciancin (the official mask of Carnevaloa) and the other two masks Capitan Fracassa (a Ligurian mask from the Commedia dell'Arte) and Pue Pepin (the Carnival King). The ceremony is attended by many guest masks from Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia in addition to Liguria.
Here the whole program.{:}
