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    December 18, 2016

    Christmas Decorations & Festivity in Rome

    Piazza Venezia Christmas tree

    There are some lovely decorations, lights and Christmas trees to check out as you stroll through Rome during the holiday season.

    Christmas in Italy is also characterised by its lovely and elaborate nativity scenes (presepi) which you'll find in just about every church in the city, and by the gorgeous panettone packages in the window of every alimentare and pasticceria. They're different every year, and vary from shop to shop, each one more beautiful than the next!

    Piazza Venezia always has a Christmas tree (pictured above), some years nicer than others, and this year's is the latter unfortunately. Italians voted it the ugliest tree in Italy this year! Fortunately following negative publicity the municipality touched up the decorations. The improved tree, along with the gorgeous backdrop of Piazza Venezia, make it worth a night-time visit.

    Last year there was a fabulous Christmas tree outside of the colosseum, but this year nothing at all. The mayor decided that to cut costs there'd be no tree. (Bah humbug to the mayor!).

    Romans don't despair, however, and get into the holiday spirit in their own way. Hundreds of all ages joined in for a Sunday morning bike and motorbike ride around the colosseum, all dressed as Santa Claus!

    Christmas bike ride around the Colosseum

    Saint Peter's square always has a large outdoor presepe and a Christmas tree.

    Saint Peters Square at Christmas

    This presepe, like most, features elaborate scenes of daily life.

    Presepe Saint Peters Square, Rome

    Italy is a great place to purchase figurines and everything else you'd need for nativity scenes. A lovely year-round Christmas and presepe shop can be found on Via dei Coronari, right off Piazza Navona. If you have time for a day trip then a visit to Naples is the best place to buy everything you could ever want for a presepe!

    For many years Piazza Navona was filled with Christmas vendors, but for the past several years the city has banned almost all commercial activity in the piazza during the holiday season.

    What does remain is a lovely hand-painted antique carousel, built in Germany in 1896 by the Horst Und Webber company.

    Piazza Navona carousel

    It's worth noting some of the beautiful details on this carousel, so emblematic of the holiday season in Piazza Navona:

    A few of the larger hotels always adorn their establishments with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. My favorites are the Hotel Hassler at the top of the Spanish Steps...

    Hassler Hotel at Christmas

    and the Grand Hotel near Piazza della Repubblica:

    Some of the nicer shopping areas in Rome line their streets with Christmas lights. The prettiest this year is Via del Babuino, right near the Spanish Steps.

    From the top of the Spanish Steps you can look right down the length of the gorgeous Via Condotti, filled with Christmas lights and some of Rome's most beautiful shops. In the foreground you can just barely see the outline of an unlit Christmas tree, placed there by designer Bulgari, a patron of Rome who funded the recently completed restoration of the Spanish steps. For a certain number of hours every evening this artificial tree is ablaze with white lights.

    Via Condotti at Christmas

    Designer Fendi, another patron of Rome who funded the Trevi fountain restoration, always dazzles with unique Christmas decorations outside of its flagship shop on Largo Goldoni (Via del Corso):

    Fendi in Rome at Christmas

    Il Cigno, on Viale Parioli 16, is one of my favorite pastry shops in Rome. When Christmas comes along Il Cigno goes all out creating fabulous panettone and other amazing, delectable Christmas treats. And by the way, Il Cigno also rates among Rome's top ten for both cappuccini and cornetti.

    A few of Il Cigno's panettone packages...

    Panettone, Il Cigno, Parioli
    Panettone, Il Cigno, Parioli

    This one, priced at €300, weighs 10 kilograms A fabulous gift for a big holiday crowd!

    Panettone, Il Cigno, Parioli

    Or mini-panettoni:

    Christmas panettoni, Il Cigno, Parioli

    Wondering what to do with your leftover panettone post-holidays? Try this great recipe!

    Il Cigno also prepares gorgeous cakes, cookies and chocolates...

    Christmas treats, Il Cigno, Parioli
    Christmas treats, Il Cigno, Parioli
    Christmas treats, Il Cigno, Parioli

    And finally, this Christmas tree, prepared with solid chocolate disks and nuts, is my favorite by far! Happy holidays!

    Christmas treats, Il Cigno, Parioli
    Piazza Venezia Christmas 2016
    PeaceOnEarth
    NewYears2017
    Panettone 2016
    Happy New Year
     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Phyllis@Oracibo says

      December 20, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      Thanks for allowing me to come along on your Roman Christmas viewings. The Hassler looks lovely...I could go for a Negroni there right now. Have you ever scratched you head about the way the bar was re-decorated? Do you remember what it looked like before? Regardless...we both had excellent Negroni's there!
      Buon natale Wendy to you and your family! Here's to 2017 and hope to see you then!

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        January 15, 2017 at 1:49 pm

        Have a great start to 2017 and see you soon!

        Reply

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    Wendy at Roscioli
    I’m American and I’ve lived in Italy for nearly four decades with my Italian family. My passion and strength lies in sharing Italian stories, recipes and unique travel insights on my blog, my Flavor of Italy trips and tours, newsletter and podcast. Continue Reading...

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