The walk starts from via dei Fori Imperiali, which connects the Colosseum to piazza Venezia; moving down this road, you can admire two Christmas trees, coming from the Val di Fiemme (in English: Fiemme Valley, which is an area located in the Dolomites mountain), and surrounded by suggestive monuments, such as the Altare della Patria (in English: Altar of Fatherland) or palazzo Venezia.
Continue on via del Corso, one of the main street of the historical centre, and see the bright flags dedicated to the nations which will participate in Expo 2015, the Universal Exposition hosted by Milan from 1st may to 31st October 2015.
Wander the lateral streets near piazza di Spagna, such as via Frattina, via Borgognona and via Condotti, well known for the expensive fashion shops and decorated with bright bells, waves and snakes.
It is time to head off in the direction of Tiber and visit piazza Navona. If you want go back in time, go for a ride on the carousel, and take the chance to see the light show on the obelisk of the central fountain, known as Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (in English: Fountain of the Four Rivers).
The last stop of our tour is piazza San Pietro (in English: Saint Peter's square), which houses a 25 metres high Christmas tree from Fabrizia, a little town in Calabria.
This tradition was started by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and it is regarded as one the most famous Christmas symbol in the city, as well as the Saint Peter's square Nativity scene.
This year the scene takes its inspiration from "Elisir d'Amore", an opera written by Gaetano Donizetti and settled in an unreal Dutch farming village in XVIII century.
The twenty Nativity characters, donated by a foundation called "Fondazione Arena di Verona", are made of terracotta.
If you visit the square in the late evening or night, do not miss the new ecological lightning system installed on the Dome.
Enjoy it and Merry Christmas!
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| Colosseum |
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| Piazza Venezia |
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Via Borgognona  |
