Take A Roman Holiday In Winter

Popular year-round for its magnificent ancient structures

, rich culture, amazing food, and warm hospitality, Rome is not just a destination for the warmer weather. Unlike other places that see a fall in visitors during the winter, in central Rome, hotel reservations can actually rise. As one of the most romantic cities in the world, and the centre of Christianity, very few places celebrate the holidays with as much gusto and revelry as the Italian capital. Religious devotees, history buffs, marathon shoppers, hungry foodies, die-hard fashionistas, and lovestruck couples all flock to this ancient city during winter. Here's why.

For the devout

As the centre of Christianity, Rome is an extremely popular Christmas holiday destination in Italy. December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, officially starts off the Christmas. The Pope visits the Piazza di Spagna and offers flowers to the statue of the Virgin Mary, after which he offers a mass at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which marks the entrance into Vatican City. Theres no shortage of giant Christmas trees in the city, such as those in Piazza Venezia, the Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, Pincio, and, of course, St. Peters Square. There are also life-sized nativity scenes.

Thousands of devotees flock to St. Peter's Square in the Vatican to hear the Papal Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and the Papal Christmas Address on noon on Christmas Daythe crowd is so thick it will easily been seen from your central Rome hotel. If you'd prefer not to brave those crowds (the square holds up to four hundred thousand visitors!), perhaps you may prefer Midnight Mass at the Pantheon, which is considered to be one of the worlds most spiritual structures.

For the shopper

This city is a veritable shoppers paradise. Aside from the well-known fashion districts like Via dei Condotti, Via del Babuino and Via Margutta, which feature the ateliers of many small independent artists, Roman Christmas markets are known the world over as being some of the best. Chances are, theres one just a short distance away from your central Rome hotel. The Christmas market on the Piazza Navona opens on December 8th, offering goods of every kind, like sweets, toys, leather products, handicrafts, and other items that are perfect for gift-giving. Kids especially enjoy this time, as Babbo Natale (the Italian Santa Claus), goes around giving all the good children candy and sweets. There are many other smaller Christmas markets as well as hundreds of shops offering all sorts of products and goodies. As a bonus for the inevitable last-minute shopper, these shops usually stay open late and offer free gift-wrapping during the holidays.

For the foodie

If you're looking for treats of the cuisine variety, venture out inot the brisk air from your central Rome hotel and head straight for Via Veneto. The area is lined with tiny cafes offering the best coffee, antipasto, pizza, pasta, gelato, tiramisu, and any other treat you may be craving. We suggest you sample everything you may never find Italian food as good as this!

by: Roberta Stuart

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