Bologna has two main Christmas markets. Fiera di Santa Lucia celebrates Saint Lucia and runs from November 20 to December 26 around Chiesa dei Servi, while Fiera di Natale runs from November 20 to January 6 on Via Altabella. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
At this markets, 45 wooden houses sell local and Italian crafts, live animals and carolers add to the festive atmosphere, and a Christmas train takes visitors around the city. On December 6, the eve of the Festa Immacolata, the market stays open late for a fireworks show near the castle. December 11-12 is dedicated to children's enjoyment of the Christmas spirit, ...
This market, in Corso Rosmini in the town of Rovereto, features local crafts as well as holiday crafts from northern Europe. Trentino also hosts another Christmas market in Arco. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Touted as the region's biggest and busiest Christmas market, the Trento market is held in Piazza Fiera next to the city's medieval wall. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The Bressanone market is located in Piazza Duomo, where the city's 800-year-old Gothic cathedral stands. There will be a presepi exhibit in the Hofburg Episcopal Palace.
The Levico Christmas market in Parco Alburgico (Habsburgs Park) features market staples such as handmade crafts, Christmas decor, and nativity scenes, but is also loaded with extra events. There is also a polenta festival and a cheese festival. A Santa Claus 5K run in the park requires a Santa suit for entry. At 9:30pm on December 1, 8 and 15, ...
Eighty festive stalls line the historic spa promenade, selling everything from toys and gifts to sweets and cakes. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The Andalo Christmas Market will be held in Piazza Dolomiti, and on December 3, there will be an opening ceremony and lighting of the Christmas tree from 4pm-7:30pm. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This market in the town of Candelara includes ice sculptures of mangers, a manger exhibit, and a traditional market. If you time your visit right, you will get to see the city illuminated solely by candlelight. Free shuttle buses will run from Pesaro to Candelara on the three weekends of the festival.
This is the biggest and best Christmas Market in Rome! Lots of stalls selling Christmas candy, decorations and toys. Appearances by Father Christmas. Fun to visit at night with lots of twinkling lights. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This market offers a mix of traditional and modern Christmas shopping with about 80 vendors. Also enjoy the city-wide decorations, choirs and horse-drawn carriage rides. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
From local sweets and delicacies to ornaments, nativity scenes, and candles and other presents for those who have been very good this year, the Christmas market in the medieval town of Sant'Agata Feltria in Le Marche has absolutely everything that good little boys and girls could dream of for Christmas! Centralized in the Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza del Mercato, this ...
The town of Manarola in Cinque Terre boasts a nativity lit with 15,000 solar-powered lights. This is the largest nativity scene in the world, and it is also constructed from recycled materials.
The traditional market will be held in Giardini di Piazza Amiani, and other events will be held throughout the city of Fano, including a manger exhibit on via Mura San Gallo, an afternoon market in the centro storico at Piazza XX Settembre, and several concerts. Please check the event website for updated dates. Get your FREE copy of Dream of ...
Via San Gregorio Armeno, in the historic center of Naples, sells Christmas-themed items all year round, but becomes even more festive in December. Nativities are on display at the Basilica Santa Chiara (via Santa Chiara 29) and Certosa di San Martino (Largo San Martino 5 in Vomero). Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
In the crypt of the Duomo in Citta' di Castello (in Umbria), an exhibition of miniature nativity scenes includes pieces from across the world, including Latin America, and also features nativity scenes by local schoolchildren. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This market turns Aosta's Piazza Caveri into an alpine Christmas wonderland with lights, decorations, Christmas trees, and local products and food for sale. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Navigli, a quarter of Milan known for its nightlife and antiques market, hosts a festive Christmas market. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The small medieval town of Gubbio boasts massive holiday decorations, including a 650-meter-high Christmas tree, the tallest in the world, which is lit on December 7. Please check the event website for updated dates. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This German-inspired market on Piazza Santa Croce in Florence includes wooden houses selling crafts, food, and wine. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This Indian film festival is the largest of its kind in Italy. Events feature writers, directors, filmmakers and actors.
This Christmas market and fair in Montepulciano features artisan food and wine products and crafts from the area. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This festival in Perugia's historic 16th-century La Rocca Paolina fortress is the the biggest holiday market for gastronomy and artisanal products in the region of Umbria. Additional food and wine stalls will also be located throughout Perugia's historic center, and craft stalls can be found in Piazza Italia. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The Auditorium Parco della Musica at 30 Viale Pietro de Coubertin (near the Olympic Village in Flaminio) hosts Christmas at the Auditorium, featuring concerts, puppet shows, food booths, market stalls and ice skating. Note: 2016 dates have not been announced yet. Please check the event website for updates. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The island of Murano, famous for its beautiful Venetian glass, hosts Natale di Vetro (Christmas in Glass) each year. The event features a seven-meter-tall glass Christmas tree, as well as other spectacular glass decorations. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This market in Piazzale Sanzio in Catania will sell artisanal products, food, and crafts. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
The Santa Chiara complex in Piazza del Gesù in Naples becomes a Christmas market filled with presepi (Nativity scenes). Buy figures for your own presipio or take a workshop and learn how to make your own presepio! Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
La Scala, Milan's world-renowned opera house, traditionally opens its season annually on December 7, Saint Ambrose's feast day. This event is a highlight for Milan's high society.
The Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair (which translates to "so nice! so nice!") is held each year in the area surrounding Sforza Castle on the feast day of Saint Ambrose, Milan's patron saint. At the fair, visitors can find an ancient Christmas market offering sweets and great Christmas shopping. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Genoa's Christmas market on Piazzale Kennedy features traditional Christmas crafts and sweets, as well as food, wine, and Christmas cooking lessons. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Musica a Palazzo sets the action of Verdi's opera within an authentic historic Venetian palazzo. This contemporary interpretation is closely related to Verdi's own thoughts on dramatic opera. Begins at 8:30 p.m. in the Palazzo Barbarigo-Minotto, Venice. Refer to the website below for performance dates. Dream of Italy readers can save 10% on tickets for this event using the promo ...
In this exhibit, visitors can experience the Ara Pacis in Rome through virtual reality to discover how it once looked during the Augustan era and to discover the origin story of Rome and the Augustus' family. Visitors can even experience what it was like to witness a Roman sacrifice. This one of a kind experience, offered in 5 language (Italian, ...
This market combines traditional Italian market stalls and presepi with Sicilian crafts and sweets, beginning in the November and running until mid-December.
An exhibit of One Hundred Nativity Scenes is on display at the Sala del Bramante in Piazza del Popolo. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Vipiteno's market is held in Piazza Citta, where the town's Zwolfer-Turm tower, built in 1486, stands. The market includes an exhibit dedicated to the history of this mining town. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
This event is supported by the city of Bethlehem, with part of the proceeds going to charities. The exhibit features hundreds of nativities from all over the world and is held in the Arena di Verona. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas in Italy Guide
Frascati, one of the towns of the Castelli Romani, hosts a Christmas market complete with wooden houses selling Christmas goods, and appearances by Santa Claus and La Befana.
Cobblestoned lanes, old woodsheds, barrel vaults and little courtyards are the setting for the market in Rango, a small village in the Bleggio plateau. Away from the frenzy of the big cities, Rango’s Christmas Market celebrates tradition and ancient rites, handicrafts of the area, the local cuisine, the smells, and the sounds of Christmas with bagpipes, accordions and shepherds’ songs. ...
The Turin Christmas Market in Piazza Borga Dora features a giant Christmas tree and exhibitors selling food and other goods. On select days, there is a free shuttle bus that leaves from the center at Piazza Castello to Piazza Borga Dora. Restaurants in the surrounding area will be offering special Christmas menus. Get your FREE copy of Dream of Italy's Christmas ...
For the Italian-lover who can also appreciate a nice hot rod: Your prayers have been answered, in the form of the Bologna Fiere Motor Show. This international exposition features hundreds of gorgeous automobile specimens, and welcomes more than a million visitors every year. With interactive activities, appearances by motor racing champions, and even the chance to test drive some of ...
L'Artigiano in Fiera is the largest crafts exhibition in Italy, featuring furniture, jewelry, antiques, and crafts from around the world.
Two brothers' love of Christmas -- Cesare and Maurizio Falcone, host of the Salerno Pizza Festival -- led them to travel Italy and Europe to gather ideas to bring a Christmas market to the town of Pontecagnano Faiano, near Salerno. The market's stands host locally made crafts and gifts, decorations, and holiday food with a southern Italian flavor. Familiar smells and handmade and colorful ...
