January Weather and Holidays in Italy
| Title: | January Weather and Holidays in Italy | |||||||
| Category: | Weather and Holidays | |||||||
| Author: | Daniele Pintaudi | Updated: | Jan 30, 2019 | Views: | 2,829 | |||
| Tags: | weather in italy weather italy january | |||||||
Weather in the North (Venice, Milan, Turin, Cinque Terre, etc.)
During January, the northern cities in Italy will be cold and wet. The temperatures range between the mid 20's mid 40's (-5 to 7 C), and on any given day you have a one in three chance of rain. The larger cities have a romantic feel to them as people huddle in warm bars.
Weather in Central (Soriano nel Cimino, Tuscany, Umbria, Florence, Rome, etc.)
The Central part of Italy is a bit warmer than the north, of course. Rome is often quite pleasant, with temperatures hovering between the high 40's to mid 50's (8 to 13 C) and lows rarely at freezing. Tuscany and Umbria will be 8 to 10 degrees colder. There is about a one in five chance of rain on any given day. When you get a stretch of sunlight in January, it is absolutely beautiful as you heat up in the direct sunlight with a sharp chill in the air.
At our home-base of Soriano nel Cimino, expect the temperatures to be about 5 degrees cooler than Rome, and we do get more rain this time of year than can be expected in Rome. We are not as cold as Tuscan cities like Florence.
Weather in the South (Naples, Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, etc.)
You should expect temperatures ranging between the low 50's to high 50's (11 to 15 C). You will experience more sunshine as you travel south, but don't expect weather nice enough for the beach.
How to Dress
Always dress in layers this time of year. You may find days during which a light sweater will be enough, and you may find evenings that require gloves, scarves, etc. be sure to have an umbrella with you in January.
Best Places to visit
Smaller towns in Italy have very little life this time of year. Visiting the countryside of Tuscany can be quite depressing. Most people find that the big cities are the place to be in the winter, with lots going on and a very romantic winter vibe. If you could only go to one city in January, we would suggest Rome.
What's Special About This Time of Year
Holidays/Festivals: January 6th is the celebration for the Befana holiday (Epiphany), which is bigger in Italy than Christmas. Children hang their stockings the night before waiting for gifts from La Befana, and Rome has a wonderful toy and candy market in Piazza Navona. Many villages have wonderful live nativity performances on this day, as well. On January 17th, many villages (including our home-base of Soriano nel Cimino) celebrate 'San Antonio Abate'. lighting massive bonfires in their village piazzas, with locals drinking, dancing and grilling sausages around the bonfires. Those that get the chance to experience either of these will have an amazing experience they will cherish forever.
Crowds: While Tourism in Italy is always heavy, it is down this time of year, and the crowds are very light. You will be able to visit the more popular museums without waiting in long lines.
Food: Winter is the time that all the Italian comfort foods come out. You will find pastas with richer sauces, lots of amazing soups, more fatty recipes, and probably the single best reason to visit Italy in the winter: Italian Hot Chocolate: The rich and thick hot chocolate that is truly incredible. It is something between our hot chocolate and pudding, and leaves every visitor wanting for more and more and more.