Christmas in Minturno Scauri

A Christmas that unites the village and the sea

Christmas in Minturno Scauri is a widespread Christmas program promoted by the Municipality of Minturno, in the province of Latina, in the southern Lazio region. The event has a unique feature that sets it apart from most Christmas celebrations in the region: it unfolds across two distinct souls of the same territory. On one hand, the historic center of Minturno, a medieval village perched on the Aurunci hills with its Baronial Castle; on the other, Scauri, the seaside district overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta, where Christmas is experienced along the promenade with the winter sea as a backdrop.

The calendar spans over a month, from early December to January 6th, and includes dozens of events, almost all of which are free to attend. It is an event designed primarily for families and the local community, but in recent years, it has also attracted visitors from neighboring towns in southern Lazio and nearby Campania.

The Baronial Castle and Santa's House

The scenic heart of the event is the Baronial Castle of Minturno, which transforms into an enchanted place for the duration of the program. Inside, Santa's House is set up, featuring a room where children can drop off their letters, alongside creative workshops, theatrical performances, and fairytale settings. Special tours of the castle also allow adults to rediscover a building that tells centuries of the village's history.

Christmas in the Village and the Chinonso Village

Along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the historic center, the Christmas in the Village section unfolds: the Chinonso Village hosts artisans, exhibition stalls, and activities dedicated to the little ones, with Santa Claus in attendance. Festive lights illuminate the alleys of the village, creating the perfect setting for markets, roving entertainment, creative workshops for children, theatrical shows, living nativity scenes, and gospel concerts.

Christmas by the sea in Scauri

On the Scauri seafront, the atmosphere changes: markets, street performers, live music, and evening events follow one another with the Tyrrhenian Sea at your back. This is where the most popular moment of the entire event is concentrated: the New Year's Eve by the sea, where the promenade becomes an open-air stage with live music accompanying the countdown to midnight.

Gastronomy and local products

• Slow Food taste workshops dedicated to the products and gastronomic traditions of the Aurunci territory
• Markets featuring Christmas sweets and typical local products
• Tastings of olive oil, wines, and preserves from the coastal strip of southern Lazio

The cuisine of this part of the province of Latina thrives on the encounter between the Aurunci mountains and the sea: at the stalls, you will find both inland products and the seafood preparations that characterize Scauri and the nearby Gulf of Gaeta.

A choral event

The program is created by the Municipal Administration with the support of the Lazio Region and the Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone-Latina, and with the collaboration of local associations, parishes, and local businesses. This participatory dimension is perhaps the most recognizable quality of the event: not a Christmas village dropped from above, but a network of initiatives involving local schools, choirs, theater groups, and volunteers.

Why it's worth the trip

Those arriving in Minturno in December will find two experiences in one: the intimate, cozy Christmas of the historic village, amidst stone, lights, and nativity scenes, and the more open, Mediterranean one in Scauri, where you can stroll by the sea among the stalls. Just a few kilometers away, you can also find the Minturnae archaeological area, with its Roman theater, and the coast of the Gulf of Gaeta, making it easy to combine a visit to the Christmas program with a day of exploring the area.