Start at the Piazza Navona Market
By the first week of January, Piazza Navona is packed with stalls selling sweets, toys, decorations and Befana-themed goods, the air thick with the smell of sugar and roasted nuts. On January 6, a Befana figure traditionally appears at noon and hands out candy and small gifts to children until 2 pm. Come early, work the perimeter of the square, and let the crowd carry you past the toy stalls toward the centre.
Watch the Viva la Befana Parade
The Viva la Befana parade returned to Rome in 2024 and follows a route that 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 Via della Conciliazione for the start, then walk the route to St. Peter's Square to catch the finish and stay for the Angelus.
Meet La Befana Herself
The night of January 5–6 belongs to La Befana, the soot-covered old woman who rides a broomstick carrying a sack of gifts for good children and coal for naughty ones. Her name comes from "Epifania," the Italian word for Epiphany. Families honour her with wine and food, and you will see her likeness everywhere — in the market stalls, in shop windows, in the hands of children. The legend has two variants: one tells of a woman near Bethlehem who declined to join the Magi, later regretted it, and wanders searching for Jesus giving gifts to children; the other tells of a grieving mother who mistook Jesus for her lost son and was blessed as mother of all Italian children. The tradition has roots in ancient pagan fertility and renewal rituals, possibly linked to the Roman goddess Strenia or Celtic nature deities.
Eat and Drink Through the Epiphany Season
Epiphany is a national holiday in Italy and marks the end of the Christmas season, with public offices closed nationwide. The celebrations across Italy include festivals, parades, bonfires and markets, and Rome's Piazza Navona market is cited as a standout. Fill up on the sweets and seasonal food sold at the market stalls — this is where the city gathers to eat, drink and mark the twelfth day of Christmas.
Know the Day and the Meaning
Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 and commemorates the Three Wise Men's arrival in Bethlehem with gifts for Baby Jesus — the twelfth day of Christmas. In Rome, the day runs on a reliable rhythm: the market in Piazza Navona, the Befana figure at noon, the parade from Via della Conciliazione to St. Peter's Square at 10 am, and the Angelus with the Pope at midday. Check locally for the exact programme and any changes to the lineup as the date approaches.
Plan your January around the sixth: book your stay near the historic centre so you can walk to Piazza Navona and St. Peter's Square, and give yourself the morning of January 6 for the parade and the afternoon for the market. The city does this every year — all you have to do is show up.