Christmas in Rome: Festive Fun in the Eternal City｜Italy

Our tour begins right in the heart of Rome’s historic center, home to one of the city’s most enduring Christmas traditions. This is the iconic Piazza Navona, a sweeping square dominated by a series of fountains and churches designed by Baroque masters Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini.

Next we’re going to take a peek inside two of central Rome’s most beautiful churches. Just steps from Piazza Navona, Santa Maria Dell'Anima has been home to the city's German community since the 15th century, and this Renaissance gem is chock-full of artistic masterpieces, opulent decorations, and vibrant stained glass.

A short distance away is the no less-impressive Santa Maria Della Pace, where we will have the opportunity to admire Raphael’s sensational frescoes- this is one of Rome’s finest Renaissance artworks.

Continuing our tour, we’ll take a stroll down Via dei Coronari, originally created by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century as a new, direct path for pilgrims heading towards St. Peter’s Basilica across the Tiber. Via dei Coronari comes alive with festive lights and decorations, and its many elegant boutiques and antique shops offer up fantastic opportunities for some Christmas shopping.

Retracing the route of generations of pilgrims, we will eventually reach the Bridge of Angels. The bridge became the most important route to the Vatican for pilgrims in the Christian era and is probably most famous for the stunning sculptures of angels bearing the instruments of Christ’s martyrdom, crafted by Baroque master Gianlorenzo Bernini.

On our tour you’ll learn about the history of Castel Sant’Angelo itself - the imposing structure began life as the grand mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian in antiquity before being repurposed as a fortress, a prison, a papal hideout, and finally a magnificent palace in the Renaissance.

Next, our route will take us through the neighborhood known as the Borgo. This beautiful district sprung up in the Middle Ages to provide services and accommodation for the churchmen working in the nearby Vatican and the pilgrims who flocked to the city’s most holy site every year.

Today the Borgo is a charming blend of lively bars and restaurants interspersed with fascinating historical sites. We’ll stop to take a look at one of the most interesting of these, the church of Santo Spirito.

Our Christmas tour of Rome concludes in extraordinary St. Peter’s Square. As the most important site in the Catholic world and a pilgrimage destination like no other, it’s little wonder that Christmas is a particularly special time of year at the Vatican. Each year the tree installed at the center of St. Peter’s Square is donated by a different community from around the world.

Alongside the tree, we’ll get to admire Rome’s largest and most important nativity scene. There’s no better way to end our festive stroll together, where the magic of Rome at Christmas will be sure to fill you with the joy of the most wonderful time of year.