The town of Gubbio (Umbria), famed for its legendary wolf tamed by St. Francis of Assisi as well as its annual procession of enormous ceri, switches on the 750 coloured lights that illuminate the outline of a giant Christmas Tree stretching up the slopes of neighbouring Mount Ingino on the 7 December 2013.
Listed in 1991 in the Guinness Book of Records as the World's biggest Xmas Tree, it measures 650m in height and 350m wide at the base. The custom of setting up the tree was begun in 1981 in honour of the town's patron saint, Sant'Ubaldo. Over the years, many important people have been invited to switch on the lights, including, in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI, who used a revolutionary remote control device. This year's ceremony will be performed by the head of Caritas Italy, Don Francesco Soddhu. A street festival of folklore and entertainment will accompany the event, as well as a concert on the 22nd December at the Church of San Domenico, to usher in the festive season in the best of manners.
Info: www.alberodigubbio.com
