Christmas holidays in Naples

During Christmas holidays Naples offers a suggestive atmosphere that makes this celebration unique and magical. Below are listed some reasons why you should visit Naples during Christmas.

The magical atmosphere of San Gregorio Armeno

You cannot think of Neapolitan Christmas without visiting this street in the heart of its historic center. All year round, San Gregorio Armeno is dedicated to the Christmas period and its atmosphere becomes even more evocative in the days before and after the holidays.

Here you will find the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene, pride of the craftsmanship of its masters, but also less conventional figurines that portray the most prominent characters in entertainment, politics and sport.

The crib of San Martino. 

Legend has it that the Neapolitan architect Michele Cuciniello, who lived in the second half of the 19th century, had collected over 800 statuettes of the nativity, shopkeepers and shepherds over the course of his life, and then sold them to the director of the San Martino Museum.

The sale had only one condition: that the crib was arranged exactly as Cuciniello wanted. And so it is still today, perfectly arranged so as to enhance the most significant scenes and highlight every single detail of this record-breaking nativity scene.

The ballet at the San Carlo Theater

If you love culture, theater and ballet, you can’t miss The Nutcracker, which every year is offered to the citizens of Naples and not only in the oldest theater in the world.

Tchaicovsky’s ballet, set during the Christmas holidays, is now a tradition to inaugurate the Christmas holidays in Naples.

The Christmas markets in Naples and its surroundings

The Christmas markets light up on the villages and castles that surround the city, giving you a suggestive and romantic atmosphere and the opportunity to immerse yourself completely in the traditional Neapolitan Christmas.

During your Christmas holidays in Naples, remember to add a visit to the Limatola Castle; in Pietralcina where Padre Pio was born; to the castle of Ottaviano on the slopes of Vesuvius; in the historic center of Cusano Mutri which becomes a real fairytale village.

Art and culture in the shadow of Vesuvius

Obviously, a holiday in Naples can only include a good dose of art and culture. The city, once the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, tells its own story through an incredible variety of architecture and works of art scattered through its streets and inside its museums.

Do not forget to check the exhibitions and temporary exhibitions planned for the Christmas period in the galleries and museums of Naples, to combine your desire for pizza with your desire to know the great Italian and international artists.

Note: Due to the COVID pandemic, it is not guaranteed the conduct of such events.