Cosmometrie, Mario Airò for Luci d’Artista Torino
During the Christmas season, countless Italian cities and small towns light up in celebration. Luminaries decorate central streets, festive displays transform iconic squares, and video projections redraw facades and monuments, turning them into open-air canvases. From north to south, dozens of festivals, events, and exhibitions celebrate Christmas lighting. We selected the ones that, for us, are truly unmissable.
Where to see the most spectacular Christmas lights in Northern Italy
Our tour of Italy’s Christmas lights can only begin with Luci d’Artista in Turin, now in its 28th edition. Known internationally, it enchants visitors with site-specific installations — not necessarily Christmas-themed — created by major figures in contemporary creativity. For 2025, four new works are expected, including an installation by Tracey Emin and another by Soundwalk Collective with Patti Smith. All the Luci d’Artista works are already on view and will remain lit until January 11.
Also spectacular: the video projections at Forte di Bard, in the Aosta Valley, an immersive Nutcracker-themed show starting December 7.
Children will certainly love the Lucine di Natale in Leggiuno, on Lake Varese, said to feature one million tiny lights illuminating the entire village through Epiphany. Also worth seeing is the video mapping in Piazza delle Erbe in Padua. In Vicenza, an upcoming projection show and a 17-meter-tall Christmas tree in Piazza dei Signori have been announced, though no additional details have been released.
Details are also still pending for Milan — but with its large Christmas tree in Piazza del Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele decorated in a “glitter effect,” it remains a safe bet.
Central Italy is brighter than ever
Our imaginary journey through Italy’s Christmas illuminations heads to Ferrara, which lights up its historic center throughout the holidays with the event Magia di Luci. Running until January 11, the Favole di Luce event in Gaeta features installations, video projections, and full-scale illuminations inspired by fantasy and Christmas imagery.
Also captivating are the sacred-themed projections and the nativity scene in Assisi, on display throughout the festive season, as well as the video mapping in Piazza Grande and on the Palazzo Comunale under the broad umbrella of the Natale ad Arezzo festival, running through Epiphany.
Southern Italy in celebration: the most iconic Christmas lights
The beloved Luci d’Artista in Salerno returns through January 18, lighting up the historic center with fluorescent sea creatures and other charmingly surreal decorations.
In Apulia, the installation of the famed Luminarie of Scorrano is confirmed, now candidates for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.