Rome December Via dei Condotti

Rome December 2023 · Christmas Lights and winter mood

Last Updated on 27. February 2024

In December in Rome, the shopping streets are full and the museums are empty. There are many nativity scenes to see, festive streets and stores.

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December in Rome

Rome December Piazza Navona

Until the middle of the month there are hardly any tourists in Rome. Accommodation is therefore cheaper and even very good hotel can be booked cheaply. We always recommend choosing accommodation in the center, between the Spanish Steps and the Tiber River or even in Monti, between Via Nazionale and the Colosseum. You can then reach the most beautiful places on foot and rarely need public transport. Read our information about Hotels in Rome.

How cold it is

Temperatures are usually higher in Rome in December than in northern Europe. In the morning the air is cold and there can be fog. As long as the sun shines, it is pleasant. In the evening and at night it is cold. It can get frosty cold at the turn of the year.

Climate data December

Tmax Ø12°C/53.6°F
Tmin Ø5°C/41°F
Sunshine hours Ø3.5
Days with rain Ø10

Source: www.wetter.com

Rome December Piazza Navona

It can rain occasionally in December and there can be lightning storms. The rain does not last long, but it is very intense. Everything gets submerged within a few minutes and you have to find a shelter. After 15 or 30 minutes, everything is usually over again.

At the turn of the year there are often strong cold winds and in some years it can be quite uncomfortable with a long drizzle.

Rome December Ghetto Turtle Fountain

Since you spend a lot of time outdoors in Rome, you need warm clothing and rainwear. Also important in Rome are comfortable shoes, as you will be walking a lot and the walkways are often bumpy.

What’s on?

Enjoy the spirit of the Christmas season, stroll the shopping streets, visit museums and nativity scenes and enjoy the rustic Roman cuisine. Temperatures are mild and there is no frost.

There are concerts from classical music to current Italian youth culture and some nice Christmas markets.

Christmas Shopping

Italian fashion is known worldwide and everyone will envy you for your purchases.

Rome December Galleria Colonna

In December, the shops are particularly attractive. They are beautifully decorated for Christmas and the shopping at the mild temperatures in Rome is very pleasant.

The luxury brands can be found around Via dei Condotti, which leads from the Spanish Steps to Via del Corso. Along Via del Corso you will find shops in all price ranges.

Rome December La Rinascente Tritone

A special consumption temple is the department store La Rinascente in via del Tritone. In the basement you can visit the ancient aqueduct which supplies water to the Trevi Fountain and the fountains in Piazza Navona. On the roof terrace you have a wonderful view over the city.

Also in the side streets around Piazza Navona and around Campo de ‘Fiori there are many nice little shops and boutiques.

Other shopping streets are Via Cola di Rienzo and Via Appia. The Via Marconi and the Via Tuscolana as well as the newly built shopping centers are too far away from the center for most tourists. Read about shopping in Rome.

Welcome to Rome show

Welcome to Rome Multimediashow

You will find a 30-minute multidimensional film show and an exhibition with interactive models in the heart of Rome, nestled between the Vatican and Piazza Navona.

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 203 Google maps Bus 46, 62, 64, 916 C.so Vittorio Emanuele / Navona

Tickets

Opening hours

St. Peter’s Basilica

Basilica 7 am – 6:30 pm – dome 8 am – 5 pm – treasure 9 am – 5:15 pm

More information about St. Peter’s Basilica>

Colosseum

8:30 am – 3:30 pm closing 4:30 pm

Open on December 25

Details about the Colosseum>

Vatican Museums

9 – 4 Closing 6:00 p.m. Admission until 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 27-30. The Museums are closed on Sunday and Dec. 8, 25 and 26. Free admission is Sunday Dec. 24.

Details on the Vatican Museums>

Museums on December 25, 2023

For the first time, some museums in Rome will be open on December 25. So you can also visit museums on Christmas Day. These include Castel Sant’Angelo, Palazzo Spada with the Borromini optical illusion and a small gallery, ancient art in Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo Barberini and the Corsini Gallery; Palazzo Venezia and the Victorianum with the glass elevator, the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna. In the field of archaeology, the Baths of Diocletian opposite Termini station are open, as are the Baths of Caracalla, the Colosseum, the excavations in Ostia Antica, the state museums in the Appia Antica park and Villa Adriana in Tivoli. Villa D’Este in Tivoli is also spectacular. The Borghese Gallery is also open, but only by reservation.

City museums and national museums

In Rome, some of the museums belong to the municipality and some to the state.

The city’s museums include the Capitoline Museums, Trajan’s Markets, Imperial Forums and numerous other museums. National museums include the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, Borghese Gallery and many more. For the full list of museums, opening times and tickets, see our Rome Museums page.

Free entry

For all museums of the Municipality of Rome, such as the Capitoline Museums and the Markets of Trajan, admission is free on December 3. Also in the National Museums the entrance is free on December 3, for the most part without reservation.

Exhibitions Rome December

december

01dec2402jun25Franco Fontana. RetrospectiveFirst major retrospective exhibition dedicated to Franco Fontana, an exhibition project that traces for the first time the entire artistic career of the photographer from Modena, with works selected from his vast archive.Museo dell'Ara Pacis, Lungotevere in Augusta, 00186 Roma RM

01dec2431may25Origins and splendors of the Farnese collection in 16th century RomeThe Farnese collection, the highest expression of scholarly collecting, supported by Pope Paul III and his nephews, includes paintings, ancient sculptures, sketches, drawings, manuscripts.Musei Capitolini, Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM

30oct2430mar25The Oak of Tasso. The history, the charactersThe literary walks of intellectuals, not only Italians, at the "Quercia del Tasso" that still stands the test of time on the Janiculum Hill dominating the Trastevere District.Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Piazza di S. Egidio, 1/b, 00153 Roma RM

17oct2405mar25Rome Kilometer ZeroA photographic research work in which 15 young photographers living in Rome document the complexity, changes and particularities of the city, creating "visual narratives" according to individual and specific projects assigned.Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Piazza di S. Egidio, 1/b, 00153 Roma RM

11oct2412jan25Sandro ViscaExhibition dedicated to the artist Sandro Visca.Museo Carlo Bilotti Aranciera di Villa Borghese, Viale Fiorello La Guardia, 6, 00197 Roma RM

02oct2412jan25LAUDATO SIE! Nature and Science. The Cultural Legacy of Brother FrancisThrough the display of 93 rare volumes, including manuscripts and ancient books, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to get in touch with the different dimensions of Creation, seen from the special Franciscan angle.Museo di Roma, Piazza Navona, 2, 00186 Roma RM

01oct2431jan25Roma pittrice. Women artists in Rome between the 16th and 19th centuriesThe exhibition focuses on women artists who worked in Rome from the 16th century onward, with a path leading up to the 1800s and the new modes of progressive access to training that slowly imposed themselves in accordance with the European scene.Museo di Roma, Piazza Navona, 2, 00186 Roma RM

01oct2431jan25Maria BarossoThe exhibition project is dedicated to Maria Barosso (1879-1960) and her relationship with the city of Rome.Museo di Roma, Piazza Navona, 2, 00186 Roma RM

01oct2401jan25Titina Maselli on the centenary of her birthUnpublished materials for a reinterpretation of the figure of Titina Maselli are on display.Musei di Villa Torlonia, Via Nomentana, 70, 00161 Roma RM

01jun2401jan25Aesthetics of deformation. Protagonists of Italian ExpressionismOn display is a selection of works from the Iannaccone collection in Milan relating to the expressionist line of Italian art between the 1930s and 1950s - from the Roman School to the Corrente group.Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Via Francesco Crispi, 24, 00187 Roma RM

01may2431mar25Elagabalus and Eastern Cults in RomeWith about 60 works from major Italian and international museums, this exhibition is divided into two major macro-areas.Mercati di Traiano, Via Quattro Novembre, 94, 00187 Roma RM

13apr2230apr32The Colors of Antiquity. Santarelli Marbles at the Capitoline MuseumsIn two rooms of Palazzo Clementino at the Capitoline Museums, there is on display a broad overview of the use of colored marbles, from their origins to the 20th century, through a fine selection of pieces from the Santarelli Foundation.Musei Capitolini, Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM

Events

Porta Portese Market

every Sunday 7:00 – 14:00 Flea market & antiques

between Porta Portese and Via Ippolito Nievo Google maps

Ponte Milvio Market

Antiques market every Sunday

Between Ponte Milvio and Ponte Duca D’Aosta Google maps

Traffic-calmed Sunday

December 3, Traffic-calmed Sunday – driving ban for private vehicles with combustion engines in the city center
7:30 am – 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Audiences of the Holy Father in December

General audiences of the Holy Father take place on Wednesdays at 9 am.

Rome December St. Peter's Square at night

The Pope’s Angelus prayer takes place on Sundays, with the exception of December 3, and on December 8 at noon in St. Peter’s Square.

Masses of the Pope

In December there are papal masses on Christmas Eve and on December 25th. There is also a Vesper in the afternoon of December 31st.

Blessing Urbi et Orbi

At noon on December 25th, the Pope gives the blessing to the city and the world Urbi et Orbi from the loggia delle benedizioni.

Free travel on public transport

Rome December 2023 · Christmas Lights and winter mood 1

December 8, December 17, December 24

Free travel for Christmas shopping on all lines of the Roman transport company ATAC

Bus, streetcar, metro

Nativity St. Peter's 2020

Saturday 9 December 5 pm Inauguration of the Christmas crib in St. Peter’s Square

For more information see our article on Christmas in Rome

Concerto di Natale in Vaticano 2021

Christmas concert in the Vatican konzert im Vatikan

Recording December 16 5 pm Auditorio della Conciliazione Google maps Tickets

Broadcast on Christmas Eve on Canale 5

december

No Events

Sport

17.12. Christmas Run for Sant’Egidio. Running for everyone at Villa Pamphili – 15 km – 8 km – 4 km. Groups with Pace Maker from 4’30″/ km to 8′ / km. Web https://www.christmasrun.it/wp/

Sport

We run rome

ATLETICOM WE RUN ROME

10 km run and 5 km run

Dec. 31, 2023 14:00, Stadio delle Terme di Caracalla

https://werunrome.com/

Christmas

Concerts

Rome has a lively music scene. Many pubs and music venues offer live music, especially on weekends. Classical music can be found in many churches and palaces.

Rome’s Music Park​

A jewel is the Parco della Musica, built by the internationally known architect Renzo Piano, in northern Rome on Via Flaminia. See all events here. Events and tickets

Tram 2 Parco della Musica

Casa del Jazz Paolo Fresu

There are several auditoriums and an open-air stage in the Parco della Musica. There are performances in all styles.

Some events are also organized together with the Casa del Jazz. Events and Tickets Casa del Jazz

Bus 160, 671, 714, 792 Casa del Jazz

december

07dec2407dec24Organ concert18:30 Chiesa di Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi, free entryChiesa di Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi, Via dei Portoghesi, 2, 00186 Roma RM

14dec2414dec24Organ concert18:30 Chiesa di Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi, free entryChiesa di Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi, Via dei Portoghesi, 2, 00186 Roma RM

21dec2421dec24Gianna NanniniSei nell’anima tour – European LegPalazzo dello Sport, Piazzale Pier Luigi Nervi, 1, 00144 Roma RM

Amusement parks

In Rome and the surrounding area there are a few parks that offer a welcome change. However, in winter they are mostly only open on weekends and public holidays. The parks are decorated for Christmas and the children can get to know Santa Claus.

Luneur

Luneur

The Luneur Park offers many rides. It is located in the south of the city in the EUR district on Via Cristoforo Colombo. The opening times in winter are irregular, mostly Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in summer daily until midnight. On the Luneur website you can see the calendar with the opening days. Bus connections are lines 30, 170, 714 and 791, Colombo / Agricoltura stop. From there it is 750m to the entrance on Via delle Tre Fontane 100.

Cinecittà World

Natale Cinecitta World

Cinecittà World is a theme park with numerous rides. It is located next to the outlet center Castel Romano on Via Pontina between Rome and Pomezia. The park is open 11 – 19 on the following days: 2.+3.12, 8.-10.12, 16.+17.12, 25.-30.12. On New Year’s Eve the park is open until after midnight.

The park can be reached by car or by regional buses. There is a shuttle bus to the adjacent outlet center from Termini station. Google maps Cinecittà World tickets

About Roman cuisine in winter, shopping and excursions read Winter in Rome.

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