Trumpets sounded Wednesday evening in Gubbio on the Eve of the Immaculate Conception, as the world’s largest Christmas tree display once again came to life.
It takes up an entire mountainside near the medieval Italian town, and is 2,100 feet tall and more than 1,000 feet wide.
Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis flipped the switch in past years, and in 2017, there was a remote lighting from space, with the help of the European and Italian Space agencies.
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The tree display, with its hundreds of gleaming lights, shines throughout the holiday season until the Day of the Epiphany in January.
For decades, the Guinness Book of World Records has declared it the biggest Christmas tree display on the planet.
Fireworks, good spirits and holiday music fill the air this week to kick off the larger-than-life celebration.
