Archive for 'December'

So, you're considering leaving all the stress and chaos of the holidays at home this year and going on Roman holiday instead. Once you have found the perfect vacation rental in Rome, you might be wondering what is on offer in that great city over Christmas. You might even be worrying that there will be nothing to see and do, that this very Catholic area might shut down completely over the festive period but, never fear, there is plenty going on! While you plan your Christmas in Rome, read through our festive guide to the city and get ready for a fun, memorable and utterly stress-free holiday this year. In part one of this guide, we're going to discuss when the sights, shops and restaurants are open.

Adding to our last post on Rome at Christmas, which covered when sights, stores and restaurants will be open over the festive season, this article will discuss the special events taking place in that great city over the holidays. The holiday season in Italy begins on the 8th of December and continues through to the 6th of January so, even if you aren't going to be in the city on Christmas itself, you'll still be able to enjoy the lights and festive atmosphere. If you are spending a couple weeks or more in Rome, however, you'll get to enjoy the full festive experience. Just find yourself a holiday rental in Rome and start jotting down your ideas for all the things you want to see and do this Christmas!

Most are probably familiar with Nativity scenes and may have even been part of school productions of the Nativity or put them up in their homes each Christmas. This is a way of commemorating and re-enacting the birth of Jesus by staging and arranging the figures from the event outside a manger. The ones in homes are usually in miniature but churches often have life-size versions. Some even stage outdoor “live” Nativity scenes with real animals and people acting as the figures from the story. This tradition is said to have been created in Italy and, as a result, there are many live Nativities all over the country which are rather famous. One of the most famous, arguably is the one at Greccio in Lazio which is said to be the very first. To visit this charming event for yourself, just find a vacation rental in Lazio.

We've already discussed how live Nativities came about and the original one in Italy but there are many others worth mentioning. One of these is that at Canosa di Puglia, in Puglia, which is often regarded as the most beautiful one in all of Italy. The perfect outing for anyone spending Christmas in this part of Italy, you need to stop by once you've found the right luxury villa in Puglia, and live through the experience of the Nativity. Few other places in the world will you find it done quite so well and it is a rather important part of local tradition, even if it hasn't actually been taking place for that long, especially compared to the live Nativities of other parts of the country.

Molise may be a small region but it is bursting with many exciting things for tourists to do and see! Molise is quite new, having only been recognised as a region in its own right in 1963.

Before, Molise was an isolated province of Abruzzo. This small but welcoming region has a small coastline bordering the Adriatic Sea and is really starting to entice more and more tourists to its interesting towns, villages and natural attractions.

Stay in a stunning vacation rental in Molise with a swimming pool where you can live the life of luxury while you explore all this glorious region has to offer.

From May until September, most of the region’s festivals take place so tourists passing through this pretty part of Southern Italy are in for a treat! See the lively Bagpipes festival in Scapoli in July or sample some of the many food festivals in August such as the lamb festival in Morrone del Sannio or the Pecorino Cheese festival in Macchia del Sole. The ‘La Ndocciata’ festival takes place in the Orange Flag town of Agnone in Molise on Christmas Eve and is a spectacular fire-lit parade that ends with a massive bonfire.