If you don’t mind a bit of cold weather, January might be the ideal time to see Florence. January means you avoid crowds, you get cheaper museum tickets, and sales in all those enticing Florentine shops. There are art exhibitions and events galore, and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to sample some traditional Winter delicacies.
If you visit on the first week of January, the festivities are still lingering in the air, with the GreenLine light festivals giving Florence’s ancient buildings a makeover. There’s a traditional parade and sweet treats bursting from every pasticceria on the occasion of Epiphany on the 6th.
Then it’s time to devote yourself to fashion. January is the month the annual Pitti Fashion show invades the city with creativity and style, and the sales mean mad shopping sprees in the city and the nearby outlets. And then of course there’s all that art to tick off your list, something that’s much easier done with fewer people around!
LAST UPDATED: December 2024
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Florence in January – Events and Things to enjoy
6h January – Feast of the Epiphany in Florence
The holidays in Florence, and all around Italy, don’t really end until the 6th of January. This is the day dedicated to Epifania (Epiphany), a religious festival that commemorates the arrival of the three wise kings at the birth of Jesus. In Italy kids receive calze, or stockings, filled with sweets and treats, and local pasticcerie follow the trend, creating amazing decadent delicacies of all kinds.
By the way… If you happen to see an old hag holding a broomstick in some shop windows, it’s the legendary Befana. A much loved part of folklore, this is the old lady who flies around on her broom rewarding good children with sweet gifts.
Every 6th January, Florence becomes the setting for the traditional parade in historic costume known as the ‘Cavalcata dei Magi’, (Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men). Starting from Pitti Palace at around 2pm, it crosses the Ponte Vecchio end ends up in the Cathedral Square, where a live nativity scene is set up. The event is completely free, and gives you the chance to immerse yourself in what is, effectively, an episode of Florentine history. Just think that members of the Medici family used to take part in this parade, that started in 1417 and was enacted in Florence throughout the 15th century. (UPDATE: In latest years, since 2020 – because of Covid- the parade has been suspended. This year 2025 is not taking place).
To better soak up the atmosphere of this festival, and see how the Medici were diehard fans of the biblical characters Three Wise Men, visit Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Here you find one of Florence’s most beautiful frescoes, a whole room decorated with a colourful representation of the Journey of the Magi.
Did you know? => On the 6th January – the date when the Three Wise arrive to bring gifts to the new born Jesus – in Italy it’s traditional to visit a live nativity scene. These are known in Italian as presepi viventi – and many small towns in Tuscany have their own: Casole d’Elsa hosts on the most famous, this year on 1st, 4th-6th January 2025 => 7 Inspiring Destinations in Tuscany in Winter!
Events for Fashion and Shopping Fans
Every January, Florence hosts PITTI IMMAGINE, one of Italy’s top fashion shows that attracts thousands of designers, buyers and fashion enthusiasts from all over the world. During this period, prices for accommodation tend to rise, and it’s advisable to book well in advance.
Dates for Pitti Fashion Show in 2025: PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO from 14th to 17th January 2025 – PITTI IMMAGINE BIMBO from 22nd and 23rd January 2025 – PITTI FILATI from 28th to 30th January 2025.
More good news for Fashion fans: sales in Florence usually start on the second week of January. So there are endless opportunities to browse the fashionable big brand shops or small boutiques to find the perfect fit.
If you’d like to know more about the Shopping Outlets that are an hour’s drive from Florence, check out these daily trips and private tours to the Mall and Prada Outlet.
On a different note, visit the food and artisanal markets in the Oltrarno: in Piazza del Carmine and Piazza Santo Spirito (dates to be advised!).
Florence in January – Art Exhibits this year
January is a good time to visit the world-famous Uffizi and Accademia Gallery. The crowds have thinned out and there’s more space to enjoy the masterpieces by Botticelli and Da Vinci.
Note that tickets for the Uffizi are cheaper than in high season: from 10th January to 20th February you pay 12 Euro instead of 25 Euro. Pitti Palace also offers a reduced price: you pay only 10 Euro in low season.
To better appreciate these famous art treasures, we recommend joining a Guided Tour: on this Uffizi & Accademia Small Group Guided Tour a professional guide will show you through the most significant work of art of the Italian Renaissance. Skip the line and save time!
Palazzo Strozzi is the beautiful Renaissance Palace devoted to contemporary art exhibits. This January 2025, until the 25th, it hosts Painting without Rules, the exhibit dedicated to Helen Frankenthaler, a presentation of the poetic abstractions of one of the most significant American artists of the twentieth century.=> More venues where to see Contemporary Art in Florence.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the former Medici family residence, dedicates an exhibit to Italian painter Felice Carena, who lived and worked in Florence in the first half of the 20th century – see official site.
=> Tuscany in January: Best Events and Trip ideas
* Check out the Best Art Exhibits in Florence and Tuscany this year
More Things to do in Florence in January
Klimt full immersion at the Cattedrale dell’Immagine in Piazza Santo Stefano – ‘Inside KLIMT’ transports the visitor in the world of the Austrian symbolist artist, with a multisensorial experience. A digital narrative developed through 360° projection of high-definition images and a captivating soundtrack (until 2nd March January 2025).
Ride the Florence Eye Panoramic Wheel – open from 1st December until end of March – to see Florence from the sky! It’s at the Cascine Park, in Piazzale Vittorio Veneto. Nearest tramvia stop: T1 Cascine/Leopolda.
A cold day in January calls for hot drinks. Try the best hot chocolates in town at the elegant historic cafè Rivoire in piazza Signoria, Venchi in Via Calzaioli, or the cosy Hemingway near Piazza del Carmine. Chiaroscuro in Via del Corso 36red offers a selection of coffee and hot drinks of all sorts.
For some artisanal beer, our favourite Florence pub is Art.17 in Borgo La Croce 64red, near sant’Ambrogio. It’s a small venue, but the beers are top notch. The Irish pubs in piazza Duomo and in Santa Maria Novella are among the most popular.
On this Florence Walking Wine & Food Tour you experience Florence’s secrets and rich culinary heritage with a local guide, including historic wine windows and the finest Tuscan specialties. Plus, visit a centuries-old wine cellar and sip on innovative Super Tuscan wines.
Weather in Florence in January
In January the average temperature in Florence is 6 degrees Celsius. The highs during the day can reach 10 degrees, while at night it can reach 0, but it rarely snows in the city. January gets an average 8 days of rain, expect clouds. Temperatures are lower in the surrounding countryside or mountainous areas, where snow is possible.
=> My secret Florence: hidden gems in the city of the Renaissance.
=> 8 Famous Statues in Florence you must see!
=> Most Beautiful Churches in Florence
Author: Sabrina Nesi, founder of Lovefromtuscany.com, passionate about sharing the beauty of Tuscany and Italy with the world.
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