In 1981, locals decided to illuminate Mount Ingino, a slope outside the Medieval town of Gubbio in Umbria. Forty years later these lights comprise, as declared by the Guinness Book of Records, the world's largest Christmas tree and, according to a recent analysis of Google searches and Instagram hashtags by DYS.com, also the world's most well-known.
Thirty soccer fields
A group of volunteers installs the Christmas tree every year, a task that requires 1,300 hours of work. Over the years, popes and politicians have attended the annual December 7 lighting ceremony. Composed of thousands of lights (400 of which comprise the silhouette), the tree extends from a base of 1,475 feet to over 2,460 feet high, or the size of 30 soccer fields. This year's tree includes an audio installation that plays Christmas songs.
Adopt a light
The lighting systems contain 1,350 sockets and plugs, and requires about 35 kW, consuming an average of about 11,500 kWh each year. To make it more sustainable, a photovoltaic system covers the electricity. People can adopt a light, which contributes to the cost of lighting the tree.
Gubbio, a crazy town
Gubbio is nicknamed the "city of the crazies" to underline the unpredictable character of its inhabitants — the very character that has brought them to create the world's largest Christmas tree. Moreover, visitors can even try to earn a "license of crazy" with the help of an eugubino, a local inhabitant, by running a race three times around the fountain of Bargello, or "fountain of the crazy," situated in front of the palace of Bargello, a landmark that dates back to the 14th century.
Gubbio at the table
The town, surrounded by natural landscapes, safeguards a rich heritage of art, history, and culture. Locally handcrafted products include ceramics, wood, iron, instruments, and leather, while spectacular cuisine awaits. Local cuisine includes wild game, sausages, cheeses, oils, and fine wines, not to mention black and white truffles unearthed from the nearby woods. Next to roasted meat and rich tagliatelle, typical dishes include crescia di Pasqua, a soft cheese pie, and the torta al testo or crescia al panaro, a flattened bread that's excellent with cold cuts or friccò, a meat or poultry stew cooked with tomatoes, anchovies, and white wine.