Visit a Christmas Market. See the glittering lights in Florence. Attend a special festival dedicated to Nativity scenes. And try out all the festive treats while you’re at it. These are our top things to do at Christmas in Tuscany. Buon Natale!
Christmas, as the saying goes, is a very special time of year. And where better to enjoy a bit of Yuletide atmosphere than Tuscany. If you like the idea of seeing how Tuscany’s towns get dressed up for Christmas and what delicacies appear on the table during this time of year, why not plan a trip in December and explore the magic of the Christmas tradition in Tuscan style.
1. Visit a Christmas Market
In the last few years Tuscany has been joyfully infected by Christmas Market fever. The markets usually sell a combination of Christmas-themed goods, local delicacies and art crafts. And often it’s the location that make these markets special. Take the one in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence (this year from 23rd November to 22nd December 2024), with the stunning church forming a delightful background to the colourful stalls.
Or the one in Piazza Grande in Arezzo (every weekend from mid November to 22nd December and then every day until 1st January), where its lovely square is taken over by an authentic Tyrolese market.
Montepulciano hosts a great Christmas market in the gorgeous square Piazza Grande.
Meanwhile there are other markets in the small towns of Lucignano (on the last weekend before Christmas) or Chianciano Terme that during the months of November and December turns into the Paese di Babbo Natale (“Land of Father Christmas”) with lots of attractions for kids of all ages.
⇒ See more details about the best Christmas Markets in Florence and around Tuscany!
2. Be dazzled by the lights in Florence city centre
Every year come December, Florence is filled with excitement and sparkle. The city centre lights up, the shopping district around Via calzaioli, Piazza della Repubblica and Via Tornabuoni and glitters with golden and silver lights.
Shops invite you to dream and give their absolute best with beautifully designed windows. If you’re not up for spending, but still think Christmas is about beautiful things, you can admire the huge tree in front of the Duomo (up from the 8th of December) and then enter the Cathedral, (it’s free) to awe at the golden frescoes inside the cupola.
Outside the Cathedral you also find a beautiful nativity scene, created by local artisans from the terracotta mecca of Impruneta. It stays here until the 6th January, when it will be removed for the festival known as the Cavalcata dei Magi (the ride of the three wise men).
For more light amazement, Florence Light Festival beautifully illuminates the city’s landmarks and squares (usually it starts on the 8th December until 6th January).
♥ Check out about the 6 Top Things to do in Florence at Christmas time!
3. Experience the magic of Christmas in a Medieval town
There’s something magical about a Medieval hilltop town immersed in the spirit of Christmas. The narrow streets twinkle with decorations, the little shops and trattorie spill over with festive feeling. Some of Tuscany’s small towns make for perfect Christmas settings. Scenic Montepulciano every year fills up with wooden stalls selling local artefacts and food for one of Tuscany’s top Christmas Markets.
In Abbadia San Salvatore on the Mount Amiata the weekends of December are dedicated to the building of wooden bonfires that are lit on Christmas Eve in a big festival with ancient roots, “Fiaccole“.
On December evenings San Gimignano and Monteriggioni look even more irresistible than ever with lights decorating their ancient stones.
=> Enjoy a Full day Guided Tour exploring Medieval Tuscany: visit San Gimignano, the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages”, Siena’s magical historic centre, and the picturesque walled hamlet of Monteriggioni. Including lunch and wine tasting at a Chianti winery. Excellent value for money!
4. See the presepi. One of the top things to do at Christmas in Tuscany
Nativity scenes (presepi) are a quintessentially Italian tradition, born in ancient times long before the christmas tree was introduced from northern Europe. These presepi commemorate the birth of Jesus, and if you visit Tuscany in December you are bound to see one. Many people still decorate their homes with little nativity scenes, either for religious and aesthetic value.
Every town puts up a nativity scene inside or near its churches. If you want to see a town that really takes its presepi seriously, Palazzuolo sul Senio is your best bet. This small town in the Alto Mugello is set for the “100 Presepi” festival, with a nativity scene on literally every corner (every year from 8th December to 6th January).
A famous live nativity scene is on in the small hilltop town of Casole d’Elsa (40 minute drive from Siena), this year on 26th, 29th December 2024 and 1st, 4th-6th January 2025.
Find out about the most beautiful presepi and best events in the Chianti area.
5. Try some traditional Christmas sweets
The local traditional sweets known as ricciarelli come from Siena. A soft almond pastry with an oriental touch, they are a firm favourite in Tuscany. Some prefer another speciality from Siena, the panforte, a dense flat cake with candied and dried fruit and plenty of honey. Of course all of these are sold in supermarket all around Italy.
But there’s nothing like trying the real thing from a traditional pasticceria, like Nannini in Siena. We recommend you savour them with a sip of sweet Vinsanto, Tuscany’s ‘holy’ wine, to round off the experience. Alla salute e… Buon Natale!
=> 5 Magical Places to Visit in Tuscany during the Christmas holiday!
* Traditional Christmas Menu in Tuscany
Author: Sabrina Nesi, founder of Lovefromtuscany.com, passionate about sharing the beauty of Tuscany and Italy with the world.
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