Winter is indeed magical in Italy and is the best time to enjoy and explore the country's iconic cities. From the snow-covered streets of Rome to the cosy and ever-welcoming cafes of Florence, you will be amazed to see how Italy transforms itself into a winter wonderland. It offers unique and exciting experiences to its visitors. Join in, and let’s uncover the charm of Italy in winter like never before—together.
Winter in Italy
You can expect snow in the Alps and the Apennines, but not much in the valleys. Winter begins from December till the end of March. Let’s find out what these months have in store for their visitors one by one beginning with December:
December and Italy
The cities and small villages all around the country lit up brightly with Christmas lights, the open-air markets throb with the locals and there is joy and festivity all over the place. Christmas here is a month-long and is the best time to mingle and mix with the local population to get that amazing Italian experience of Christmas. You can also gather some unforgettable skiing experiences in the Alps and the Dolomites.
The average temperature ranges from 26-45°F in the north, 42-57°F in central Italy and around 54-61°F in the south during this time. Here is the list of the national holidays for your ready reference like the Immaculate Conception ‘Festa dell’Immacolata’ (December 8th), Christmas ‘Natale’ – Midnight Mass on the 24th: all churches in Italy conduct them.
December 25th: exceptional service blessed by the Pope in Rome's Piazza San Pietro. December 26th: Santo Stefano. December 31st: New Year celebrations in big cities. There are concerts, fireworks, and more.
January and Italy
January is the coldest here and the northern cities get the maximum snowfall. If you really love nature and want to be as close to it as possible, then this is the right time for you. The days can be cold and clear or completely wet and windy with snowfall in the mountains for sure.
You may not get to visit the Tuscan properties or the Amalfi coast but the scenic beauty of the cities at this time of the year will compensate for all. The average temperature is 25 - 45° F north, 40 - 55° F in the center of Italy, and 50 - 60 ° F south.
Some of the national holidays when you can enjoy the most are New Year’s Day ‘Capodanno’ on Jan 1st and Epiphany ‘Befana’ on Jan. 6th. You can enjoy the sales that begin after this day.
February and Italy
It’s the coldest month in North Italy with snow all around and also a great time for ski lovers once again. The atmosphere of these iconic cities is just unbelievable, like the fog slowly engulfing the Venetian canals and much more.
The southern Italian island of Sicily is one of the Best cities to visit in Italy which can be an ideal winter vacation destination for many to say. The average temperature is around 25-45°F in the north, 39-55°F in central Italy with frequent precipitations and 48-55°F in the south. It is the time for celebration for the Italians as it is the Carnival (Carnevale in Italian) month of the year that lasts for two weeks and ends on Shrove Tuesday.
Venice Carnival is among the best in Italy and is worth it. Carnival celebrations in Venice start with a floating parade on the Grand Canal and continue onto the following Saturday. The traditional Festa delle Marie, a beauty pageant contest comprising twelve beautiful young ladies who dress themselves in period costumes, parade around the city. One, among them, is elected as Maria dell’Anno or Maria of the Year.
March and Italy
This is also a great time to visit Italy, where you can experience the ‘Arctic blasts,’ where the temperatures come down close to the freezing point. It generally happens during the first half of March. In the latter half, the weather becomes warmer and the sun sets around 8 PM. During this time, the mean temperatures generally fall between 34°F and 55°F in the north, 43°F and 59°F in central Italy, and 52°F and 59°F in the south.
The biggest holidays in March are the Carnival and Easter. One festival, apart from these two, that you can really enjoy, is the International Women’s Day or Festa della Donna on March 8 when locals offer sprays of yellow mimosa flowers to the women in their lives. Isn't it truly romantic as well?
Among other reasons as to why you should visit Italy’s iconic cities during winter, is the Italian winter food, which is just fantastic during this part of the year with an innumerable array of tasty stuff to choose from.
Winter Food in Italy
You will get to try some of the best polenta (boiled cornmeal with stewed meat and/or mushrooms), and pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta and oodles of cheese).
Milan in winter serves offers cassoeula (stew with veggies, sausages, and pork). In Piedmont, you can enjoy bollito (meat cooked in broth with sauces and mustard-candied fruit served alongside).
The two most popular sweets served during Christmas are surely the panettone and pandoro. Panettone (Milanese raised cake with raisins and orange peel and Pandoro (star-shaped raised cake with butter oozing out from it). Sounds fantastic!
Another reason why winter is the best time to visit the amazing cities of Italy is the fantastic marketing options that you can enjoy during this part of the year. Let’s check on them as well.
Christmas Marketing in Italian Cities
Mercatino di Natale (one of the Italian Christmas markets), happens to be an outdoor market during the holiday season and places like Trento, Tarvisio, Trieste and Bolzano are the best for this. You can shop some of the best works of art from these places starting from the native wood curved figurines and the handmade chocolates and more.
Conclusion
Visiting the iconic cities of Italy during winter will be an unforgettable experience for you through its enchanting festivals in Italy and the events that take place with them and a chance to enjoy the local traditions and cuisines in the most intimate way possible. The season allows you to appreciate and savour the cultural richness and unparalleled beauty of these cities in the best possible way.
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