Notte Bianca

Notte Bianca is an initiative of various countries around the world. The phrase "Notte Bianca" comes from Italian and means White Night. The Night would consist of various activities throughout a whole night. Most of the time this is accompanied with late public transport and great security around the city.

History

The first initiative took place in Berlin in 1997, however the first "Notte Bianca" took place in 2002 in Paris and takes place in the first Saturday or Sunday of October.

In 2007, there were seven cities with observances of 'European White Nights':

'Nuit Blanche' in Paris
'La Notte Bianca' in Rome
'Baltā Nakts' in Rīgā
'Nuit Blanche' in Brussels
'La Noche en Blanco' in Madrid
'Notte Bianca' in Bucharest
'Lejl Imdawwal' in Valletta

Malta

The first "Notte Bianca" in Malta took place in 2006 in the capital city of Valletta. The activity was a huge success considering the number of people that attended. In Malta it is known as "Lejl Imdawwal" (which literally means "Lit Night" in Maltese). During the night various activities around the fortified city takes place. Shops remain open till late. Amongst others the Co-Cathedral of St.John is open for display.

The activity is now in the calendar of the Maltese.

Italy

Rome's "Notte Bianca" in 2005 was held on September 17-18, and the guest star was Roberto Benigni. There were similar initiatives in other cities as well. In Naples it first took place on October 29-30, 2005 with numerous concerts (Baglioni, Pino Daniele, 99 Posse, Almamegretta, Stadio) and theatrical and cultural events. The attendance was twice the number of Naples's population itself. Other "Notte Bianche" took place in Genoa, Turin, Reggio Calabria, and Catanzaro.