Turin - Park in March

Italy is known to be one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. However, this also means that thousands of tourists travel to the country to visit its many well known tourist locations, its beautiful ancient churches, cathedrals and museums. Because of this, during the peak tourist seasons the rates of the hotels and all the other tourist facilities shoot up. Visitors would end up paying almost double for the same hotel rooms in peak season in comparison to the off-season. The main tourist season in Italy is during the summer and the spring months, hordes of tourists travel to the country during this time to enjoy its sunny beaches.

In April and September visitors would be required to make reservations well in advance. The next best thing to do would be to travel to the country in March. In March, tourism is yet not in its full swing and visitors would be able to find accommodations and travel tickets easily in comparison to the other months. However, the weather would not be as great in March as it is usually in summer. But those who are interested in taking advantage of the slack season can definitely plan their travel in March.

Weather in March

March in Italy is still characterized by some cold and chilly days and many regions would even have some damp rainy days. However, particularly after the second half of March sunny days are expected with average temperature in the mid 60s farenheit in Rome . Anyway almost any weather is possible in March, which the month was nicknamed Marzo e' pazzo ( March is crazy).  If you are planning on a lot of travel outdoors or hiking, March might not be the right time. However, those who are just interested in visiting the many beautiful churches and monuments in the country, like everyone else, would still not face any problems. March 21st  is the first day of spring and clocks are set to summer time the last week of March.

View of Lake Garda in Northern Italy on a bright, cold March morning

Northern Italy:  In Milan and other parts of northern Italy, average temperature would remain between 1 degree Celsius to 13 degree celsius (34 to 56 degrees Farenheit). In March, precipitation is still frequent but there is a higher chance to have a sunny warm day than to have a snowy day.

In Central Italy including Rome the average temperature is approximately between 7 to 15 degrees Celsius (43 to 59 degrees Farenheit). Greater chances for sunny days toward the end of the month will show that the long winter is finally over.

In Southern Italy and Sicily March is quite mild with temperature remaining between 11 to 16 degrees Celsius (52 to 61 degrees Farenheit).

Where to visit in March

The best thing about Italy is that events and festivals are held in different locations in the country all through the year. So even if visitors travel to Italy in off season they would still have plenty of things to do. Some of the best places to visit in Italy during March are Turin, Rome, Florence and Verona. These are the main places in Italy where the major festivals are organized in March. Apart from just taking part in the festivals, visitors can also visit the monuments, museums, cathedrals and churches in these towns. Rome and Florence are known all through the world as some of the best cities in the world in terms of culture, art and architecture. During the off season many of these museums and sight seeing locations in these cities would offer discounts of which visitors can take advantage.

Festivals in March

March 8 is Festa della Donna (International women's day ).

Sanremo - Ariston Theatre - Artists in front of the theatre

For food lovers and chocolate lovers, March is a great time for visiting Italy since the famous chocolate fair takes place in Turin during this time. The festival is known as CioccolaTO' and it takes place in the first and the second weekends of March. More than 40,000 Kg of chocolate is sold in central Turin during the location. The local tourist offices also sell chocolate passes in which visitors can taste 10 or 15 chocolates in one or two days' time. Other than chocolate the festival also has plenty of events and entertainment options. The festival is also held in the other towns of the province; however, the main city of Turin has the best celebrations.

The song festival in San Remo is also quite interesting. The festival is a competition between the singers of the country which is spread over five days. The festival is being celebrated since 1950 in San Remo and is responsible for the fame and popularity for many singers in the country. Usually, the event begins on the second Tuesday of the month and continues till Sunday.

In Rome the commemoration of the death of Caesar is held every March on 1^5th. Various cultural events including a marathon race takes place during the event. Most events are held close to the Caesar's statue in the Roman Forum.

The famous marathon in Rome is organized on the third Sunday of the month. The marathon is a 42km stretch which passes through many picturesque streets of the city. The starting point for the marathon is at Roman Forum and during the course it passes from some of the most well known monuments and locations of the city including the Vatican before it ends at Colosseum. The marathon is quite popular and people from all over the world take part in it. There is even a shorter route for the casual runners.

Saint Giuseppe or Saint Joseph's feast day is celebrated on 19^th March and is also known as Father's Day. It used to be a national holiday in Italy and traditionally bonfires were lit through the country on the day. According to the tradition, children give gifts to their fathers on the occasion and in many places a nativity scenes based on the life of the Saint are shown. The main food item served on the day is Zeppole.

The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, in March

For those who like medieval festivals and events, the donkey race known as Palio dei Somari would be quite interesting. The event is held in a picturesque medieval village known as Torrita di Siena which is located in Tuscany quite close to the city of Siena. The event takes place on 19^th March. A historic parade is also a part of the celebrations.

Wine lovers would have a wonderful time in Italy in March since the largest and the most important wine festival takes place in Italy in the month of March in Verona. The festival is known as VinItaly. During the festival visitors would be able to sample some of the best known wines of Italy which are locally made from the vineyards around Verona.

Spring festivals are also quite commonly celebrated in Italy in March. Festa della Primavera is usually held on 21^st March in various different locations in the country. Usually the festival would have some cultural events centered around music and performances. Visitors would also be able to taste a lot of typical regional food items during the festival.