A fine Christmas present, 95000 Italian lire, this book of images and memories of 19th and 20th century Chieti, edited by Teresio Cocco, Camillo Gasbarri and Giovanni Tavano, will be presented tomorrow at the "V.Cianfarani" Auditorium.

Francesco Rutelli, Antonio Bassolino, Mario Spallone and ...Peppino Ranalletta, Italian super-mayors are obscuring Garibaldi, Mazzini and Cavour. At Trasacco primary school children were asked to name the most important figure in recent history and 95% answered their mayor Ranalletta.

Today at Madonna del Freddo, via Riccitelli 38, inauguration of Walter Michetti's crib, dedicated to Annalisa Cianci, a 9-year-old who was recently struck by an incurable disease. 35 scenes with poor materials and re-used statues. Opening times: 9-20 december, 16-20; from 21 december, 10-13 and 16-20.

The owner of the ox and donkey featured in previous editions of the living crib is unwilling to lend his animals this year. He always gave the animals free of charge, with the promise he would be entrusted with some little jobs with his excavators by the municipality. There are no other ox and donkey in the area.

The ancient, pagan rite of lighting packs of canes on the farms of the countryside on the dawn of 8th december will be repeated this year. Hundreds of people will carry the burning canes along corso Elio Adriano and other alleys of the ancient town converging to Piazza Duomo, where the canes will be piled to make a giant bonfire. Then a Mass, and in the evening another pagan rite: the dancing and finally burning of two "pupe", to the sound of a band and fireworks.

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