Vatican City: As the Latin American country of Peru prepares to present a lawn to be erected in St. Peter’s Square this year, Antallo in northern Italy is preparing to provide a Christmas tree to decorate the lawn! Each year, artists from different countries arrange lawns in Vatican Square to showcase the cultural and social context of their respective countries. Accordingly, this time the artists selected are from Peru.
There will be 30 forms of grass prepared by artists from the village of Chopka in the Huangvelica region of Peru. The traditional costumes of the Chopka community are adorned with figures of Unni, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Each object in the lawn will contain local features. The Christmas tree is a 28 meter tall tree brought from Antallo in the province of Trento in northern Italy.
The decoration of the tree will be carried out by a team of artists from the forest department of the province of Tentro. The unveiling of the lawn and Christmas tree will be officiated by Vatican Governor Archbishop Fernando Verges Alsaga on December 10 at 5:00 p.m. As usual, the lawn will be in Vatican Square until January 9, 2022, when Jesus’ baptism will be celebrated.
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