So you are thinking of visiting northern Italy in December, but you’re not sure what to see and what to do. Don’t despair; there are lots and lots of special events that simply aren’t available in the good old summertime. Here are a few of them. Get rolling; December is almost upon us. We start our virtual tour in the Emilia-Romagna on the eastern coast, the Gulf of Venice, and then go east to Liguria, the Italian Riviera. There are so many things to see and do in northern Italy in December that this is the last of three articles.

There are scads of Christmas markets in Emilia-Romagna during the month of December. Check the dates carefully. Given the region’s reputation, don’t be surprised that many of this Christmas markets focus on gastronomy as well as handicrafts. As an added attraction, many of these Christmas markets are held in mountain huts.

Bologna’s basilica consists of several interconnected churches. The oldest existing building is the Santi Vitale e Agricola which contains a Fourteenth Century Nativity Scene. The seaside city of Cesenatico hosts a very unusual floating nativity scene in the harbor designed by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. Make sure to see it at night.

Bologna traditionally celebrates New Year’s Eve with the Fiera del Bue Grasso (fat ox fair) in which an ox is decorated with flowers and ribbons from its horns to its tail. Church bells peal, people light candles, and enjoy the fireworks. The celebration ends with a lottery whose winner gets to keep the ox. The seaside city of Rimini holds a huge New Year’s Eve festival in Piazzale Fellini. There’s music, dancing, and entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display but ox lovers will have to go to Bologna.

Liguria on the Italian Riviera is a major tourist destination for much of the year. Not surprisingly, it is fairly quiet during the winter months. There are, however, some activities to enjoy even during the winter. For example, the San Remo Yacht Club holds winter championship regattas on many November, December, and January weekends.

As everywhere else in Italy, Christmas is a very important time for most Ligurians. Ligurian villages and towns that offer living nativity scenes include Calizzano, Diano Arentino, and Roccavignale. Ligura’s capital and major city, Genoa, is home to NATALIDEA-IDEANEVE for about a week in mid-December. This is a major Christmas market fair and you’ll find a wide variety of handicrafts, food, wine, and many other items for sale.
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