Luci di Salerno (Lights of Salerno)

Salerno, a city on the Mediterranean south of Naples, is one of 2 Italian cities (the other is in the north) to create a walk through fairyland of holiday lights. "Yes, everybody has Christmas lights "' you say, but these involve extensive plastic recycling programs and the design talents of local artists and craftspeople. Many of the plastic items used are the ubiquitous plastic water bottles. These are collected, washed, dyed and cut to form the desired shapes. Then they are mounted on wire frameworks. Fabricators wire on the lights and they are installed throughout the town. Everyone is paid for their labor, the local shopkeepers get a big boost to their sales and the city draws tourists from all over the region. Here are some examples