In Rome, the Befana glides over Piazza Navona after a two-year absence
They are all wonderful the piazzas of Italy, but one in particular is the dream of adults and children, Italians and tourists alike, onEpiphany Day. È Piazza Navona, in Rome, where the old flying lady (as we have all come to imagine the Befana) returned to bring cheer, after two long years of absence. Pandemic had also struck this particular celebration. The monumental Piazza is an icon, for tourists, partly because of the stalls that fill it during the Christmas season.
Those who reach Italy from abroad adore Piazza Navona perhaps more than the Romans themselves, and at this time of year its fascination grows. They are all drawn by curiosity to see it transformed. The figure of the Befana probably originated in pagan times, and was later taken up by the rituals of the ancient Romans, according to which after the winter solstice, fascinating female creatures (about whose identity the sources are discordant) flew over the fields, to encourage the harvest.
L'Epiphany in Piazza Navona has always been a sea of stands with typical Christmas products (including handicrafts), from books to cribs, from sweets to decorations. Attractions and shows frame the Christmas season and run through the ancient Domitian Stadium. It was the emperor who wanted, in 85 AD, the construction of this track for athletes' competitions. The first architectural example of its kind in Greco-Roman antiquity.
The ancient stadium today is the square where the arrival of the Epiphany is celebrated. Instead of athletes you can meet artists and artisans there. Navona is filled with lights and sounds, Christmas decorations, cribs, sweets and games for children, traveling shows, the magical puppet theater and the ancient horse carousel. After stopping for the past two years, there are even more stalls, and the City of Rome has even established an award for female entrepreneurs and those under 35. In addition, a dense program of cultural activities translates into children's readings, photo exhibitions and educational workshops among the stalls.
The festivities reach their climax when the Befana glides from the sky on her broomstick and lands near the obelisk to deliver sweets and candy to children. Accompanying the event this year was the band of the National Fire Department. If, on the other hand, you are thinking of a traveling companion, you might be pleasantly surprised to find more than one in the team of Rosy Smart City Tours.
Tour leaders will take you on a tour through Rome's most beautiful piazzas (Navona, Pantheon, Trevi, Spagna and Piazza del Popolo). There is nothing ordinary about the tours; they are very special encounters with the eternal city. There is also the possibility to choose the Ghetto, Pantheon, Navona, Street Food Tour. Two and a half hours among beauties of all kinds.
