The traditional Plaza Italia will become this Saturday, December 3, a “Mercatino di Natale”, a fair of delicious Christmas products and traditions organized by the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italo-Paraguayan Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Italian Embassy and the Municipality of Asuncion.
With the proposal of living the experience of going to a typical Italian Christmas market, for the third consecutive year this activity is organized so that the public can savor gastronomic delights, buy gifts and have a fun time. The fair will be in Plaza Italia, located at Avda. Ygatimí and 14 de Mayo, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The little market will bring together stands from the Dante Alighieri Society, Unione Siciliana del Paraguay, AFS Paraguay, Ada Codas-Raquel Arzamendia, Al Arte, Dolce Arte, Novaresi, Veneto Region, Gaspar Asaro, Little Bees Workshop, Asso Abruzzo, Quattro Mori , Circolo Italo Paraguayo, Dante Recanati, Dante Artists, Com.It.es. Aso Asu, Brumado, Neighbors Plaza Italia, Tentazione Gourmet, Circulo Ligure, Il Mangiare, Marche, Ossain, Promo 2023, Famiglia Trentina Pacher, Noi Siamo, Sachero Art, Italys Wine, Liquors Tentazione, Milu Rivelli, Bardella, Soc. Margherita di Savoia, Audrey Dibello, Daisy Mujica, Assoc. Basilicata and Assoc. Campania.
Viviana Ruggero, president of the Dante Alighieri Society, said that they seek to recreate “the atmosphere of an authentic Italian Christmas market in Asunción”, where typical Italian dishes can be savored, such as Sicilian arancini, pizza, panini with salsiccia and Italian prosciutto, typical cheeses , panettone, bocconotti (typical Abruzzo cakes), tiramisu among others, and buy products such as wines, paintings and crafts; all this, accompanied by Italian and Christmas music and other artistic numbers.
The Mercatino di Natale will be decorated like Italian street fairs at this time of year, where it will be possible to savor “typical foods that are not always found in restaurants, because the recipes are family heirlooms,” explained Massimo Bortoletto, manager of the Chamber of Italo-Paraguayan trade.
Some artists who confirmed their participation are the student band of the Scuola Dante Alighieri, the Asunción municipal folkloric band and ballet, the Municipal Song Conservatory with interpretations in Italian, the Unione Siciliana choir, and Francesco Laquinta.
Italian culture in Paraguay
For the Dante Alighieri Society, the Christmas fair is “an occasion for all Italian associations in Paraguay and lovers of Italian culture to meet again and enjoy the products of beautiful Italy, paying homage to its cuisine and its art,” explains Ruggero. .
“Italian culture is not only valued by Italians and their descendants, but also by society in general, since the influence that immigrants had on our architecture is great and they even formed entire neighborhoods in Asunción,” adds Massimo Bortoletto.
Italian Cooking Week
The Christmas market closes a week of activities known as Italian Cuisine Week, which is celebrated simultaneously in 100 countries during the third week of November, to promote culinary, gastronomic and wine traditions as distinctive signs of identity and culture. italian. In Paraguay, the event has been organized by the Italian Embassy for seven years.
