So famous are the Christmas markets of Bolzano that the city bears the nickname 'the Italian Capitol of Christmas.' Market fairs have been held in Bolzano ever since the northern city was annexed by the Habsburg Empire in 1363.
Located on the route between Venice and Augsburg, Bolzano's fate has relied on relations between Germans and Italians, political boundaries drawn and redrawn for centuries. Turmoil is absent from this photograph though; all is merry and bright. The giant Christmas ornaments are dusted with snow, their colors echoed in the umbrellas carried by the pedestrians. Where the owners of those snow-coated bicycle have gone is an unanswered question.
The street we see here is Via della Mostra. located in the historic city center, it became its most elegant street in the eighteenth century when its buildings were renovated in the Baroque style popular with the aristocracy and wealthy merchants. Abandoned after World War I by their long time owners, they have been yet again, housing elegant shops and delightful cafes.
Image:
Alberto Campanile (b, 1958), photographer - Via della Mostra, 15 December 2012, Alinari Archives, Florence.