Christmas in Nettuno - Christmas Markets in the Borgo

Christmas lights up in the Medieval Borgo

In Nettuno, on the southern coast of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Christmas is not just a brief spell of lights: it is the moment when the Medieval Borgo returns to being the living heart of the city. The narrow streets surrounding Forte Sangallo, the 16th-century fortress overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, fill with festive lights, wooden stalls, and the scent of fried sweets. The initiative, promoted by the municipal administration together with Proloco Nettuno, Proloco Forte Sangallo, and the merchants' association Il Tridente, has become over the years one of the most popular Christmas events on the coast of Lazio.

Markets and traditional flavors

The core of the event is the Christmas market in the Borgo: stands with local products, handicrafts, and gift ideas that enliven Piazza San Giovanni and the surrounding alleys. Every day, from 4 PM onwards, visitors can taste specialties prepared on the spot by local associations.

• Fried sweets made fresh in front of the public
• Hot mulled wine and thick hot chocolate to brave the evening
• Ciambelline, homemade cookies, and traditional Lazio morselletti
• Stalls featuring handicrafts and local products

A village for families

The program is designed especially for children and families. Santa's House is set up at Forte Sangallo in the days leading up to Christmas Eve, with art workshops, entertainment, and the delivery of letters. In the Borgo, there are majorette parades, traveling aerial dance shows, magic performances, and morning guided tours that tell the history of the fortified district. The living nativity scene remains the most anticipated event: local actors and extras reconstruct the Nativity among arches, staircases, and courtyards that require no additional scenery.

Beyond the Borgo: skating, cinema, and New Year's Eve

Christmas in Nettuno extends to the whole city. On the seafront, at Piazzale delle Sirene, an ice skating rink is installed, open for several weeks from mid-December until late January. The Council Chamber hosts concerts by the city choir, Christmas carols by school children, and film screenings for families; the Forte Sangallo library hosts book presentations and readings for the little ones. On the night of December 31st, Piazza Cesare Battisti becomes the stage for the New Year's Eve in the square, with DJ sets and entertainment until late at night, while the Epiphany closes with the traditional descent of the Befana from the roof of the Town Hall.

Solidarity and community

A part of the program has a distinctly social character: every year, a solidarity meal open to families in difficulty is held in Piazza San Giovanni, organized with local associations, and there is no shortage of evenings dedicated to inclusion created with local theater companies. This is perhaps the aspect that best defines Christmas in Nettuno: an event built by the proloco and merchants, closer to a village feast than a large tourist event, and for this very reason, authentic.

Why come to Nettuno in December

Nettuno is known primarily for the sea and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Goretti, but in winter, it shows a different and more intimate face. The Medieval Borgo, with its walls overlooking the water, offers one of the most evocative Christmas settings in the Roman province, less than an hour from the capital. Admission to the events and markets is free, which makes the visit easy even for a simple afternoon trip from Rome or the nearby towns of Anzio, Aprilia, and Latina.