Art, fun and history: 10 best Italian cities to spend New Year's Eve

Art, history and definitely lots of fun lie in store for you when you spend New Year's Eve in Italian art cities  

23 Dec 2019

Gruppo UNA

Food definitely plays a big part in any New Year's Eve party in Italian art cities. Everybody gets together for huge feasts that usually involve lentils, symbolising good fortune and wealth for the coming year, spicy sausages called Cotechino, and stuffed pig's trotters or Campione. Serving pork is said to guarantee a rich and varied life!

If you want to be part of a New Year's Eve party in Italy and are wondering where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Italian art cities, then we've put together a list of our top ten favourites that combine art and history with fun.

Art, fun and history: the 10 best Italian cities to spend New Year's Eve in.

1. Roma.

There's no shortage of New Year's Eve events in Italian art cities and Roma is no exception. Head to the Piazza del Popolo for a New Year's Eve party with music and dancing, finished with the noise and spectacle of fireworks. Celebrations continue into New Year's Day itself with street performers and acrobats entertaining the crowds. 

Also showcasing the New Year's Eve fireworks of Italian art cities is the Colosseum, where the Via di Fori Imperiali is taken over with live music concerts that finish with fireworks at midnight. Enjoy New Year's Eve in Roma with a stay at the UNAHOTELS Decò Roma

2. Ferrara.

When you think of Ferrara, art combined with fun might not spring straight to mind but it's definitely one of our top choices for New Year's Eve fireworks in Italian art cities. But, here they do it a little differently. Book a place at one of the city's Renaissance banquets to tuck into heritage food. Then join party-goers dancing to live music in the Piazza Castello until midnight when the castle is 'burnt'. Dramatic pyrotechnics and fireworks make it look as though the castle really is on fire! Then, escape from the noise of the city back to the tranquillity of your holiday hotel, the UNAWAY Hotel Occhiobello.

Tre ponti di Ferrara

3. Firenze.

Firenze is another good place to experience New Year's Eve in Italian art cities with a special dinner. Restaurants lay on especially extravagant menus (you'll need to book in advance). After dinner, take up a vantage point on one of the city's historic bridges to watch the fireworks at midnight. Enjoy music concerts in places such as the Piazza della Repubblica or the Piazza della Signoria. We have a choice of five Gruppo UNA hotels in or near Firenze including the luxurious Leone Blu Suites | UNA Esperienze and UNAHOTELS Vittoria Firenze.

4. Milan.

New Year's Eve in Italian art cities often centres around local squares and this is so in Milan where the Piazza Duomo is where the locals ring in the New Year enjoying a free concert with music, comedians and guest celebrities. In contrast, there is always a New Year's Eve Gala Verdi Concert at the Teatro Alla Scala. Celebrate New Year's Eve in Milan with us by staying at the UNAHOTELS Cusani Milano, the UNAHOTELS Century Milano or in the boutique luxury of the Maison Milano | UNA Esperienze.

5. Venezia.

As in many Italian cities, the Venetians like to go out and dine on New Year's Eve and restaurants across the city lay on gourmet feasts that finish in plenty of time to see in the New Year. After dining, head to St Mark's Square for music, a special toast to the coming year called the Bellini Brindisi and a huge group kiss. This kiss is important as it's said to be the start of many new relationships!

If you're feeling brave on New Year's Day, you can join local Venetians for a bracing dip in the sea at the Lido Beach. After your dip, head back to the Maison Venezia | UNA Esperienze for some warming hot chocolate.

6. Bologna.

If you're looking for something a little alternative for your New Year's Eve celebrations in an Italian art city, then Bologna has it. Bologna celebrates with the Fiera del Bue Grasso or the Fat Ox Fair. An ox is decorated with ribbons and flowers while candles are lit and church bells are rung. This is followed by a special lottery, but don't enter unless you want to win the ox!

Celebrations continue in the Piazzas of San Petronio and Maggiore with music and street markets and finish at midnight when an effigy of an old man representing the old year is thrown onto a bonfire. Stay at the UNAHOTELS San Vitale Bologna or the UNAHOTELS Bologna Centro to see in 2020.

7. Napoli.

The large Piazza del Plebiscito in the heart of Napoli is the venue for this historic city's New Year's Eve celebrations. Napoli has a name for putting on one of the best displays in Italy. Before the fireworks are set off, revellers enjoy an outdoor concert that mixes rock with classics and traditional Italian music. One old Napoli tradition is the throwing of old things out of the windows at midnight. We don't recommend you do this from your room in the UNAHOTELS Napoli.

8. Torino.

Highlights of the New Year's Eve celebrations in Torino are a huge parade followed by live music and fireworks in the Piazza San Carlo. Torino is definitely one place where you can combine some art and history with your New Year's Eve fun. We recommend taking in the Museo Egizio, Torino Cathedral and the Palazzo Carignano. The Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze is in the heart of the city, so all of this history is right on your doorstep.

Turin

9. Siracusa.

Compared to many places in Italy, New Year's Eve in Sicily is a little more low-key. In Siracusa, the town organises public parties in the piazzas but most families celebrate by 'promenading' with their friends and families and dining together. Take time to explore the Catacombs of San Giovanni, the Teatro Greco and the nearby quarries or Latomia del Paradiso. A great base for exploring Siracusa and this part of Sicily is the UNAHOTELS One Siracusa.

10. Taormina.

When the celebrations have finished, there's only one way to see in the New Year in Taormina and that is to take a dip in the Mediterranean. It will be bracing but with views of Mount Etna and the beautiful Sicilian coastline to look at, it's certainly an alternative way to see in 2020.

With just a few short weeks of 2019 left, it's definitely time to check out our range of hotels and decide which Italian art city is just right for your celebrations.

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