The biggest Christmas tree of the world is in Umbria, precisely in the Medieval city of Gubbio. Made for the first time in 1981, the tree is lit every year on the night of 7 December. In 1991, ten years after the first lighting, it entered the list of the Guinness World Records.
Mount Ingino lights up for the Christmas holidays
The shape of a Christmas tree made with LED lights is located on Mount Ingino, just above the city of Gubbio. The base starts from the city walls and is 450 metres wide. The top of the tree reaches the Basilica of Saint Ubaldo (Patron Saint of the city), located on the top of the mountain. It ends with the Comet, with an overall height of 750 metres.
In honour of the Patron Saint, a group of volunteers (called Alberaioli, from albero, which means tree) in 1981 came up with this lighting in the shape of a Christmas tree. The aim was to make the eugubini (the inhabitants of Gubbio) turn their eyes towards the Basilica of Saint Ubaldo.
The traditional lighting of the Christmas tree on 7 December
The lighting of the Christmas tree is on 7 December; it respects this date in honour of its first lighting on 7 December 1981. The 130.000 square metres occupied by the fixture are covered with green LED lights that outline the shape of the tree. Inside the perimeter, the tree is scattered with lights of various colours, creating bright lights play and a magical effect on the city.
Civil and military authorities of Gubbio and the Umbria Region take part in the inaugural ceremony. Every year a different institution lights up the tree; the lighting ceremony testimonial of 2022 was the President of the Umbria Region, Donatella Tesei. In the previous years, other exceptional testimonials like Pope Benedict XVI (in 2011), the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano (in 2012), Pope Francis (in 2014), the astronaut Paolo Nespoli (2017) and many others have had the opportunity to take part at the ceremony and start the lighting of the biggest Christmas Tree of the world.
The lights of the fir tree and all the illuminations installed in the streets of Gubbio light up the city for the entire duration of the Christmas holidays, from 17 until about midnight.
Vivi l’Umbria insieme ai suoi protagonisti
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