What’s hot in Mercantia 2014

Starts today in Certaldo one of my favorite festivals in Tuscany: Mercantia! As you maybe know this is one of the most important festivals of street performers and artists coming from all over the world to perform here.

Mercantia 2014 – recommended performances

Mercantia 2014 starts today July 16 and runs until Sunday July 20. Shows start around 8pm and go on until midnight or further depending on the show. They’ll have different locations and some of them will be itinerant along the street of the medieval hamlet of Certaldo. This year main theme is the field of Miracles in the land of Barn Owls, inspired by Pinocchio.

Here a short list of the shows or performances I recommend:

• Badabimbumband – great marching band with several percussions, trumpets, trombones and sax. Their performances are hypnotic and extremely dynamic. They’ll have three different shows going on and at least a couple of performances per night.
• Cafélulè – must-see show of these flying dancers. Their stage is the facade of Palazzo Stiozzi Ridolfi and the show is really fabulous. You can see them every day twice per night starting from 10.30pm.
• Zastava Orkestar – another marching band coming from Maremma and playing Balkan music in a funny way with percussions, horns and brass
• Compagnia del Drago – fire-eaters, strange creatures, tall humans and other funny characters will parade around the streets with two different shows twice per night.
• Lumì – she is fairy with bright wings and gives as a gift dreams. You can find her in Via Boccaccio all night long from 9.45pm.

Of course there are other tons of shows and performances. Every year they have several new artists and I have a long list of what to see. You can check the full program here. In addition there is a large market in Piazza Boccaccio (main square downtown) and around the streets in the medieval center.

TooMuchTips

• Buy your ticket before you go all the way up to the medieval center of Certaldo. Ticket office is only in Piazza Boccaccio downtown, in front of the Church and Town hall.
• Don’t take the funicular way – it’s really busy and you’ll wait forever. In less 10 minutes walking you reach the main entrance. You can take Via del Castello right from Piazza Boccaccio.
• Parking – check the map because Certaldo offers free bus transfer from main parkings.
• Have fun and don’t bother about the crowd. Mercantia worths!