What’s on in Rome this month?
The first week of January is still full of Christmas holidays initiatives which last until about January 6th, the Epiphany day (“which all the festivities carries away!” as we say in Italy). There are also opportunities for the best fashion shopping deals of the year, as well as unmissable temporary exhibits about Ancient Rome.
Without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive into these super exciting things to explore in the city! 🤩
Things to do in Rome in January 2023
Rome parade
On January 1st from 3:30PM there will be the Rome parade, a big free event to celebrate the New Year! There will be a spectacular 3-hour long musical parade where performers of American high schools,Italian folklore groups and majorettes!
The parade will start and end in Piazza del Popolo, and it will go through via del Corso, via dei Condotti, Piazza di Spagna and via del Babuino.
More info: https://romeparade.com/
Did you know we do in-person experiences too? Small groups only (for real, 8 people max), intimate and personal (meaning you won’t be following a guide with a flag). Check out what we offer here 😉
Christmas market in Piazza Navona
After being suspended for some years, finally the Christmas market in Piazza Navona is back and it will be running until January 6th!
This market usually includes a variety of nativity scenes decorations, Christmas tree balls and Christmas street food 😊
100 Presepi in Vaticano (100 nativity scenes in the Vatican) exhibition
This is the 5th edition of the 100 presepi in Vaticano exhibition, therefore quite a new tradition.
But even so, this exhibit will steal your heart! First of all, the location. The 100 Presepi will take place in the colonnade of St Peter square designed by Bernini.
And then the content. There will be 100 nativity scenes of any kind. From the presepi made of cotton (which was my favorite last year!) to the chocolate presepi (wisely protected by a glass! But you could still smell the chocolate!). Here you really understand that creativity is the only limit!
The exhibit will be for free and it will take place from December 8th to January 8th.
More info: https://www.100presepi.it/
Christmas World in Villa Borghese
This year Christmas world lands in Villa Borghese! 30000 squared meters with representations of Christmas in the world, through experiences, installations, shows and more.
It is an immersive experience where you can walk through the heart of Berlin, in the Christmas markets of London, then move to Paris, Tokyo, New York (where you can ice skate under the Brooklyn Bridge!). And of course also to the North Pole, where you’ll find Santa Claus village!
Christmas World will run from December 3rd to January 8th.
Tickets are to be purchased in advance on https://christmasworld.net/
Incanto di Luci at the Botanical Garden in Trastevere
This shining and amazing experience is the exhibition of the light designer Andreas Boehlke, together with the sound designer Burkhard Fincke.
Together they have crafted a magical itinerary which is 1.5 km long and surrounded by the natural landscape of the Botanical Garden of Rome.
The installations are designed to have a low environmental impact thanks to the use of LED lights.
Tickets are required to be purchased in advance: https://www.incantodiluci.it/en/
Open until January 8th.
Are you looking to make your Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Check our private and semi-private experiences here
Saldi – Winter Sales!
On January 5th the Saldi Invernali (the Winter Sales) start! From that day until February 15th there will be discounted prices pretty much on everything in every shop, especially clothing, shoes, handbags.
This is the time of the year (together with the Summer Saldi which start in July) where most Italians take advantage of the discounted prices to treat themselves to that nice handbag they saw few months back, or that nice pair of shoes they desired but that were a bit too expensive.. This is the time to make the best deals!
When the Saldi start the discounts will be lower (usually around 20%-30%) but you’ll still be able to find a big assortment. As the weeks go by the discounts reach around 50%-60% and more, but of course with less assortment.
Happy shopping!
When Rome was a Republic – exhibition at the Musei Capitolini
This exhibit at the Capitoline Museums tries to give an overview about the transformation of the Roman society across 5 centuries, from the beginning of the Republic to the birth of the Empire. In case you didn’t know the Roman legacy started first as a monarchy, then it became a Republic, to the become an empire. This exhibit focuses on the Republican period, to give you an idea, the times of Cicero, Caesar and so on..
Majority of the artifacts which you can see in this exhibition are usually not visible to the public, because they are usually kept in the deposits (did you know that the deposits are sometimes more crowded of artifacts than the museums themselves?!).
This exhibit started on January 13th and will last until September 24th. More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1012211
Van Gogh exhibition in Palazzo Bonaparte
From October 8th 2022 until March 23rd 2023, Palazzo Bonaparte will host an exhibition dedicated to Van Gogh and his works.
The exhibition will include 50 Van Gogh artworks, including Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, as well as documentation of Van Gogh biography.
The exhibition will take place in Palazzo Bonaparte, which used to be the residence of Napoleon’s mother in Rome.
Website: https://www.mostrepalazzobonaparte.it/mostra-van-gogh.php#
Get to know Medieval Rome, the unsung side of the Eternal city
Too often when visiting Rome we tend to focus on history moments such as Ancient Rome, Renaissance and Baroque. And what about those centuries between the fall of the Roman Empire and the rebirth of the Renaissance? This January 2023 take the chance to discover the Medieval period, when Rome fought to stand back on its feet.
There are some marks of Medieval Rome around us, but not as much. Because the medieval ruins and buildings were considered something not valuable, and destroyed to either be replaced by something more modern, or to bring back to light the ancient Roman ruins.
This exhibit focuses on the medieval period of Rome, which characterized so much the way the city looks like today.
The exhibit will run until February 5th, 2023 in the Museo di Roma of Palazzo Braschi, in Piazza Navona.
Website: https://www.museodiroma.it/en/node/1011574
The Secret Rooms of the Pantheon [extended until February 5th]
From September 24th until February 5th 2022 you will be able to visit the an exclusive area of the Pantheon, for the first time after so long open to visitors! How mind blowing is that!
This is thanks to an ongoing exhibition taking place in this exclusive area, which is called “Drawing on History. Stirling, Wilford and Associates 1980-2000“. This exhibit shows the daily activities of one of the most influential architecture workshops on the 20th century. To mention some of their projects: Leicester, Cambridge and Oxford.
Not only a very interesting exhibit, but also an incredible opportunity to visit this unexplored area of the Pantheon!
To visit you must book in advance one of the free guided tours which take place on Thursday at 10AM and 4PM, Saturday at 10AM, Sunday at 4PM. To book write an email to dms-rm.pantheon@cultura.gov.it or call +39 06 68300230.
(Please consider that at the time of writing these guided tours take place in Italian only. In the email ask for an English tour in case there has been an update that we are not aware of)
Domitian emperor. Hatred and love. (exhibition)
Last weeks to visit this exhibition, which takes place in Villa Caffarelli in the Capitoline museums and it consists of an archaeological exhibit all around the emperor Domitian.
It is called “hatred and love” because the character of the emperor Domitian has always been quite controversial. Sometimes he is described as tyramn, other times as a leader who cared about a good administration, his relationship with his people and to the gods.
The exhibition includes pieces which are not normally visible in the museum and it will run until January 29th, 2023.
More info: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1011288
The Domitian exhibition can be perfectly combined with the “Wonders of the Capitoline hill” itinerary included in our Video Guide.
Live a unique experience with us!
If you want to make your January Rome trip special and looking for something fun, unique, personal… you’re in the right place!
Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on discovering the authentic side of Rome. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Our experiences include the hidden gems of Trastevere, Centro Storico and the heart of Ancient Rome. You can find them all here!
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