How can a neighborhood turn into a village? Simply by gathering. Around its own heart, Piazza Gae Aulenti, on the occasion of the most heartfelt, most inclusive and most loved holiday of the year: Christmas. And celebrating it with decorations, stylings and initiatives open to the whole community. It's not just a matter of spaces, surfaces and verticality. In Portanuova, the first LEED & WELL for Community certified district in the world, good intentions translate into low energy consumption lights, sustainable attractions and a concrete support for the city's artistic and cultural heritage. Welcome to the Portanuova Christmas Village, from 7 December, the day dedicated to Sant'Ambrogio, patron saint of Milan, until the Epiphany.
Portanuova dresses up for the party, illuminating Piazza Gae Aulenti and its surroundings (the bridge that crosses Melchiorre Gioia is impressive) with lights and suggestive Christmas decorations as a frame for attractions to experience the Christmas atmosphere all together, having fun.
The entrance to the Village takes place through three decorated arches: two in the Biblioteca degli Alberi park and one along via Capelli, access gates to a dimension where time slows down and every space is light and colour. Once you reach the square, between the IBM Pavilion and the RED Feltrinelli there is the curling rink, a sport much loved in our country too after the successes at the last Winter Olympics. A group game suitable for all ages, to get together, for example, with colleagues on a lunch break or with friends and relatives and maybe, why not, even challenging opponents you've just met on the field. To book your match, just download the Portanuova Milano app and buy a ticket at a cost of 5 euros per team. The entire proceeds will then be donated to the interior restoration project of the church of San Gioachimo, the artistic heritage of the neighborhood, one of the best known examples of neo-Renaissance art in the city.
From the icy and enchanting Nordic atmospheres to the more classic and indispensable Christmas Markets: 13 traditional wooden chalets with a large selection of selected winter products, from regional food and wine specialties to handicrafts, without giving up the typical roasted chestnuts, hot chocolates and crepes, for a sweetness to be shared. The village revolves around the true protagonist of the great celebration: the Christmas tree positioned in the center of the pedestrian fountain in Piazza Gae Aulenti, the heart of the Portanuova district. The tree, 12 meters high, is made up of 350 wooden sledges.
But there’s much more. On 18 December, from 9 to 18, BAM - Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano presents the BAM Season Day: Winter Day, a full day of recreational and cultural activities to celebrate the arrival of winter, which will culminate with the traveling evening Christmas concert Choir Saint-Michel of Freiburg. Furthermore, until 18 December, the giant screen will remain set up between the IBM Studios and Pandenus, which will allow all the fans of the teams still in the game to enjoy the afternoon or evening matches of the Football World Cup 2022 live.
• Let's shed light on LEDs
The lighting of the Portanuova Christmas Village is a spectacular scenography of LEDs with such a low consumption that it can be entirely powered by 3 simple domestic sockets, with an overall energy saving of 85% compared to a traditional system, and a considerable reduction of lights from dispose of at the end of its life cycle, thanks to the longer life of the LED compared to the classic incandescent bulbs.
• Awareness and respect
At the Village, turning off the lights at midnight not only significantly reduces costs compared to the twilight sensor system but also aligns with good practices in response to the international energy crisis.
• Curling synthetic rink
It reduces energy consumption due to traditional ice refrigeration, making the structure more sustainable and reusable over time.
• The restoration of San Gioachimo Church
The church of San Gioachimo is one of the best known examples of neo-Renaissance art in the city. Under the supervision of the Superintendence of Fine Arts, it is undergoing restoration work of the interiors. Find out more about the artistic and historical heritage of the parish of San Gioachimo: https://sangioachimo.wixsite.com/sangioachimo/storia
• To thank the BAM Friend community, composed of the citizens who support the care of the Portanuova park with a little help, we have reserved some special comforts:
- 10% discount at the markets in Piazza Gae Aulenti
- Use of the curling rink in dedicated slots
- "From me to you: I give you the park in a card": this year those who choose to give the BF card as a gift will receive a paper card with a sachet of seeds of the floral varieties that make up the flowering meadow of the Biblioteca degli Alberi in spring.
For further info: https://bam.milano.it/bamfriend
Portanuova Christmas Village
December 7 to January 6,
Gae Aulenti Square and surroundings
Download the Portanuova Milano App