Recurrences

Traditions, rites and atmospheres of Christmas in Italy's most beautiful villages

From an ice crib to the setting up of gigantic trees in alleys and small squares. Here are ten examples of what can be found during the holidays from north to south of the country

by Laura Dominici

12 December 2025

8' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Mezzano di Primiero lights the roots tree (Trento)
The Massa Martana (Perugia) ice crib

8' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

With their cobbled streets, cosy little squares and stone houses that tell centuries of history, Italian villages become the ideal setting for experiencing an authentic Christmas, made up of intimate atmospheres and traditions handed down through the ages. Here, the pace slows down, places are illuminated with warm lights and every corner seems to hold a fragment of poetry. In the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, Christmas is not just a celebration: it is a return to the origins, a journey through genuine flavours, ancient crafts, popular music and rituals that evoke the culture of local communities. Strolling through festively decorated medieval alleys, meeting craftsmen in their old doorways, savouring traditional recipes becomes an experience that recalls the deepest sense of Italian conviviality. Here is a selection of ten places that interpret the Christmas ritual in an original way.

Natale nei Borghi più belli d’Italia
Photogallery27 foto

Waiting for Father Christmas in Collalto Sabino (Rieti)

Ancient walls, a baronial castle dominating the landscape and well-preserved stone alleys: this is Collalto Sabino, in the province of Rieti, a jewel set in the mountains of the Lazio Apennines. To stroll here is to immerse oneself in a place where history, tradition and nature coexist in perfect balance, and it is in this setting that the village prepares to experience the enchanted atmosphere of Christmas for the eleventh year running with 'Santa's Town'. The 2025 edition includes six appointments in which Collalto Sabino will be dressed in lights, sounds and scents typical of the Christmas period, giving visitors an evocative and engaging experience. During the days of the event, the ancient cellars of the village open their doors to host local artisans and producers. The village streets are enlivened by piped Christmas music and the traditional sound of pipers, while local delicacies can be enjoyed in the Piazzetta della Chiesa. There is no shortage of animator elves with children's make-up, soap bubbles, balloons and mascots, and the little ones can even take a pony ride along the village streets.

Collalto Sabino

Mezzano di Primiero lights the roots tree (Trento)

Stop, take the time to reflect and participate in the festivities starting from values such as family, traditions, community. This is the message of hope that Mezzano di Primiero (in Trentino) launches with its upturned tree, 16 metres high, displaying its roots, an unequivocal symbol of life and origin. Until 7 January, the roots will be illuminated, a metaphor for bringing some light back into man, into the community, into personal and collective identity. And the tree of roots becomes one more reason to visit this enchanting Trentino village in the shadow of the Pale di San Martino, where woodpiles become art along the Cataste & Canzei route, punctuated by some thirty monumental art installations, created using the technique of stacking wood, one log on top of another. On festive days, right next to the tree, a little house will be set up where each person can entrust their thoughts to a special compass of values. A shared and collective story that will embellish the tree of roots even more.

Mezzano di Primiero

Lights on Lake Trasimeno in Castiglione del Lago (Perugia)

Overlooking the western shores of Lake Trasimeno, Castiglione del Lago is one of the most fascinating Umbrian villages in terms of history and scenic beauty. Its walls, the Rocca del Leone (Fortress of the Lion) and the panorama that embraces the entire lake make it a unique place, perfectly blending medieval atmosphere and contemporary liveliness. Every alley, every view of the lake and every glimpse tells of a deep connection with the surrounding nature. In this context, Christmas becomes an opportunity to further enhance the magic of the area. Once again in 2025, the village is the protagonist with the sixth edition of "Luci sul Trasimeno", an event that has become a symbol of Christmas and is known for its largest Christmas tree in water, capable of attracting thousands of visitors every year. In addition to the large light installation that illuminates Trasimeno's mirror of water, 2025 sees a renewed and spectacular "Wonder Show", which is not only a projection of lights and fires on the Rocca del Leone and the lake, but also a real Christmas storytelling. Alongside it comes "Le dolcezze di Luci sul Trasimeno", a new area entirely dedicated to the sweetest flavours of Christmas.

Castiglione del Lago (Perugia)

Santa's village in Ricetto di Candelo (Biella)

One of the best-preserved medieval villages in Europe, Ricetto di Candelo is a place where time seems to stand still. Located in the heart of Piedmont, in the Biellese hills, this example of 13th-century fortified architecture is a harmonious ensemble of towers, walls, courtyards, cellars and narrow stone-paved 'rue'. Born as a collective refuge for the farming community, today the Ricetto is a living and fascinating village, capable of combining history, tradition and a unique atmosphere. In this setting, the long-awaited appointment with the Borgo di Babbo Natale (Father Christmas' Village) returns, an event that for years now has lit up the magic of the Christmas season. The fortified village is transformed into an enchanted place where history and fantasy meet. Strolling through the ancient streets, visitors are enveloped in lights, decorations and scents reminiscent of the most authentic Christmas, while the stalls of the craft market offer handmade creations, art products, decorations, sweets and local specialities. The festivities are also a privileged opportunity to get to know the village in its most authentic form, through guided tours that recount the history and architectural peculiarities of the place.

Ricetto di Candelo (Biella)

The Grand Christmas of Corinaldo (Ancona)

The village of Corinaldo seems born to tell stories. Nestling in the hills of the Marche region, the village encapsulates a beauty that needs no artifice. It is a place where the past coexists with the authenticity of daily life, giving the visitor a poetic experience. Every stone holds traces of centuries, every corner tells a fragment of identity, and when winter comes, the entire village seems to glow with a new light. Here, Christmas becomes one of the most intense and significant moments of the year. Christmas in Corinaldo is not just a celebration: it is a way of being together, a collective story made up of lights, sounds, traditions and small gestures that have been handed down for generations. The streets are filled with travelling shows, music, creative workshops for children, and the Christmas Market, where flavours, knowledge and crafts tell the most authentic story of the territory better than any book. Among the novelties of the 2025 edition is the ice skating rink set up in the setting of Porta del Mercato. Culture will play a prominent role and the Goldoni Theatre will propose prose shows and concerts that will enrich the Christmas programme.

Corinaldo

Underwater Christmas in Tellaro (La Spezia)

Tellaro is a seaside village set on one of the most fascinating stretches of coastline in Liguria, part of the splendid setting of the Gulf of Poets. Its colourful houses overlooking the sea, the narrow alleys that climb between sudden glimpses and natural terraces on the rocks, the small church stretching out over the waves and the golden light that envelops the village at dawn and dusk make it one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, loved by poets, travellers and photographers of all ages. In winter, Tellaro takes on an even more intimate and evocative charm, becoming the ideal stage for one of the most iconic Christmas traditions in the Mediterranean: Underwater Christmas. This unique event, born 55 years ago, returns in 2025 for its 56th edition. In Tellaro, the Baby Jesus is not born in a stable, but from the sea: a tradition laden with symbolism, a message of hope and peace that has crossed generations and communities for over half a century. The most eagerly awaited moment will take place on 24 December, when the statue of the Child will emerge from the waters of the bay, transported by divers and laid in the manger placed on a small boat lit by candles.

Tellaro

The Hundred Nativities of Bagolino (Brescia)

Framed by the peaks of the Upper Valle Sabbia, amidst stone alleys, frescoed houses and views that tell centuries of history, Bagolino, in the province of Brescia, is recognised as one of the liveliest cultural realities of the Lombardy Alps. Famous for its traditions, such as the historical Carnival and wood craftsmanship, when December arrives the village is transformed into an open-air nativity scene, capable of enveloping anyone who visits it in an intense and evocative atmosphere. The heart of Christmas in Bagolino is "Il Borgo dei Presepi", a route that takes shape along the streets of the old town centre until 6 January. More than one hundred nativities, made with different materials and techniques, populate windows, courtyards, porticoes, hidden glimpses and suggestive corners. The route is marked by the comet, a luminous thread guiding visitors to discover the creations and the most intimate soul of the village. It is a circular itinerary, usable without a map, a true walk through tradition that also allows visitors to discover crib number 1, set up in the Church of San Lorenzo and visitable during all festivities at dedicated times. Along the main street, you will encounter exhibitors of handicrafts, handmade products, sweets, decorations and local specialities.

Bagolino (BR)

The rural house markets in Rango (Trento)

Amidst farmhouses leaning against the mountain and alleyways smelling of history, the Christmas markets of Rango (province of Trento), open until the end of December, come to life. They are set up inside the old rural houses: in the cellars, in the hallways and under the characteristic 'vòlti' (vaults), stalls are filled with traditional gastronomic specialities and local handicraft objects, the fruit of ancient knowledge jealously handed down. Every detail recalls nature, rurality and the simple life of the past, making the atmosphere warm, genuine and deeply rooted in Alpine identity. Strolling through stone stairways, arcades and narrow alleys, one is immersed in a sensory journey of flavours and scents of bygone times, and every corner of the village tells ancient stories and preserves the magic of the most authentic Christmas. The programme promises excitement and fun for everyone: accordions, Christmas choirs and scenes of country life evoke the essence of the village, while shows, sporting activities, encounters with animals and experiences for young and old enrich each day of festivities.

The Massa Martana ice crib (Perugia)

A chilling nativity scene made entirely of ice is the one in Massa Martana, in the province of Perugia, that characterises the initiatives for the festivities in the Umbrian town. The statues, sculpted on large blocks of ice, look like crystal and shine as if illuminated by a million lights. The exhibition also bears the title of 'national nativity scene' because one can admire cribs from all regions, as well as works of art on the Nativity, created by great sculptors and ceramists, which are the added value of the event. This year the iconic ice nativity scene will be dedicated to Saint Charles Acutis, the young millennial saint canonised on 7 September by Pope Leo XIV. The exhibition takes place in the premises of the medieval old town, where visitors are greeted by the fires that the elders light in the small squares and the Christmas dirges that can be heard in the alleys. By the way, Umbria is among the most searched regions online for Christmas initiatives.

In the Venetian drawing room of Borgo Valbelluna (Belluno)

The picturesque square of Mel in Borgo Valbelluna, a small Venetian salon nestled in the Dolomites in the province of Belluno, is the hub of the festivities. This is where the Christmas market takes place, featuring local farms and their products, alongside handicrafts. Also in Mel, at the Palazzo delle Contesse, you can visit the exhibition "L'oro e l'anima. Grafiche di Gustav Klimt" (Gustav Klimt's graphics) and the civic archaeological museum, where workshops are also held for children, dedicated to ancient history, but also to the well-known Viennese painter, trying their hand at mosaic, collage and gold leaf techniques. Moving on to the hamlets, you can enjoy organised walks or, on your own, choose from Christmas concerts, various activities and readings for children.