Follow the Sooty Trail Through Piazza Navona
By the first days of January, Piazza Navona has already been a Christmas market for weeks, and on the eve of Epiphany it is at its loudest. Stalls crowd the long oval of the square selling sweets, toys, decorations and Befana-themed goods, and the air carries the smell of sugar and roasted nuts. This is the centre of La Befana in Rome. Epiphany falls on January 6, a national public holiday when public offices close, marking the twelfth day of Christmas and the end of the season.
La Befana is the soot-covered old woman who rides a broomstick with a sack of gifts, leaving presents for good children and coal for naughty ones. Her name comes from "Epifania," the Italian word for Epiphany, and her legend has more than one telling: a woman near Bethlehem who declined to join the Magi and wandered afterwards in search of Jesus, giving gifts to children as she went; or a grieving mother who mistook Jesus for her lost son and was blessed as mother of all Italian children. The figure may draw on older pagan fertility and renewal rituals, linked to the Roman goddess Strenia or Celtic nature deities. Whatever her origins, the custom in Italian homes is to leave out wine and food for her.
On January 6, the Befana character traditionally appears in Piazza Navona at noon, handing out candy and small gifts to children until 2 pm. Come earlier in the morning if you want to move through the stalls without the densest crush.
Walk the Parade Route from Via della Conciliazione to St. Peter's Square
The "Viva la Befana" parade returned to Rome in 2024, and its route is easy to plan around: it starts at Via della Conciliazione and ends in St. Peter's Square at 10 am, ahead of the Angelus with the Pope at midday. Position yourself along the approach to the square in the morning, then stay for the Angelus if you want the full sequence of the day.
For the religious meaning behind the date, Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the infant Jesus — the narrative that La Befana's folklore grew up alongside.
Plan Your January 6 Around the Holiday Clock
January 6 is a fixed date and a national public holiday, so the city's rhythm is set well in advance. The Befana folklore belongs to the night of January 5–6, which means the evening before is when families leave out their wine and food and children anticipate the morning.
- Morning: the "Viva la Befana" parade arrives in St. Peter's Square at 10 am.
- Midday: the Angelus with the Pope in St. Peter's Square; the Befana appears at Piazza Navona at noon and stays until 2 pm.
- Afternoon: the market stalls in Piazza Navona remain the centre of the day's activity.
Beyond Rome, Epiphany across Italy is marked with festivals, parades, bonfires and markets — the Befana Regatta in Venice is one example. Rome's own programme for 2027 is not fixed in advance in the sources, so treat the timings above as the city's established pattern and confirm local listings closer to the date.
Eat Your Way Through the Epiphany Markets
The seasonal eating in Rome on Epiphany is tied to the market itself. Piazza Navona's stalls sell sweets alongside toys and decorations, and the Befana-themed goods are part of the draw. This is where you graze: pick up candy and small treats as you walk the square, the same sweets the Befana hands out to children at noon.
The domestic ritual is just as worth borrowing. Italian families leave out wine and food for La Befana on the night of January 5–6 — a small, easy custom to observe in your own rented kitchen, and a way to mark the last night of the Christmas season.
Make a Day of It Around the Centro Storico
Piazza Navona and St. Peter's Square are the two anchors of Epiphany in Rome, and they sit within a walkable stretch of the historic centre. Start at Piazza Navona for the market, cross to Via della Conciliazione for the parade's starting point, and finish in St. Peter's Square for the 10 am arrival and the midday Angelus. Because January 6 is a public holiday and public offices are closed, build in time for crowds and treat the day as a slow loop rather than a schedule to rush.
If you want to extend the season, remember that Epiphany closes it out: this is the twelfth day of Christmas, the last of the city's festive calendar before Rome returns to its ordinary winter rhythm.
Start with the date — January 6 — and work backwards. Book your stay within walking distance of Piazza Navona and St. Peter's Square, plan the night of January 5–6 for the Befana tradition, and set your alarm for the morning parade. The rest of Rome will arrange itself around you.