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Best Christmas markets in New York
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Culture
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Florentine Christmas combines religious traditions, gatherings around the table and celebrations that occupy some of the city's most well-known monumental spaces. In 2026, FeelFlorence marks 8 December as the start of the Christmas programme, highlighted by the lighting of the great Christmas trees, starting with the one in front of the Duomo. That same period gives way to Florence Lights Up, which illuminates spaces such as Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchio.
The nativity scene or presepe is also part of the celebrations. The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore documents the installation of a nativity scene in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore during the Christmas period, next to the great tree. Its life-size terracotta figures are linked to the Florentine and Tuscan craft tradition of working with this material.
Family gatherings around the table are another part of this season. Official Tuscan tourist information includes a regional Christmas menu that begins with cold cuts, pecorino and crostini with chicken liver, continues with fresh stuffed pasta and may include arista, the Tuscan-style roast pork loin. The source itself points out that the latter is especially common in Florence.
Christmas does not end on 25 December. On 6 January, Florence preserves one of its most characteristic historical traditions: the Cavalcata dei Magi. Each year, the re-enactment organised by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore recovers a Florentine custom whose origins date back to the 15th century and which was closely linked to the Medici. The Three Wise Men ride on horseback through the centre accompanied by a large historical procession to Piazza del Duomo.
There, the Magi deposit their gifts before the Baby Jesus in the living nativity scene. The procession's attire is inspired by the figures depicted by Benozzo Gozzoli in the Chapel of the Magi at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. This continuity between Christmas and Epiphany makes the Florentine festive period something broader than the weeks the Santa Croce market is open.
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The main Christmas market in Florence has official dates for 2026. The Mercato di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce will open on 14 November and will remain until 20 December 2026.
This is the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt, inspired by Central European Christmas markets. FeelFlorence confirms more than fifty stalls set up in wooden huts, with artistic crafts, traditional European food, gift ideas and Christmas decorations.
The opening hours are also published: from Monday to Thursday it will be open from 10:00 to 22:00, while on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays it will remain open from 10:00 to 23:00. Admission is free.
Therefore, in 2026 the Santa Croce market will begin several weeks before the lighting of the city's great Christmas trees, scheduled for 8 December.
| Market | Editorial rating | Location | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercato di Natale – Weihnachtsmarkt | ★★★★★ | Piazza Santa Croce | Crafts, gastronomy and gifts |
The Mercato di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce is the major confirmed Christmas market in Florence for 2026. The Weihnachtsmarkt will bring together more than fifty stalls inside characteristic wooden huts, with an offering inspired by the traditional markets of Central and Northern Europe.
The official offering includes artistic crafts, typical products, gift ideas, handmade Christmas decorations and gastronomy from various European countries. FeelFlorence also announces international food, hot drinks and a calendar of activities with special attention to children.
Its location provides much of its appeal. The market occupies Piazza Santa Croce, in front of the basilica's monumental complex, within the historic centre of Florence.
🗓️ Dates: 14 November - 20 December 2026.
📍 Location: Piazza Santa Croce, Florence.
The Santa Croce Weihnachtsmarkt has a distinctly Central European character, so it is worth distinguishing between what is eaten at the market and the Christmas gastronomy typical of Tuscany. FeelFlorence mentions products such as wurstel and vin brulè for the Florentine market, as well as crafts and Christmas ornaments. Visit Tuscany also describes Santa Croce as a market with more than fifty stalls with artisanal products and traditional food from different European countries.
To get closer to a Tuscan Christmas table, you have to extend the route beyond the stalls. Visit Tuscany places cold cuts, pecorino, olives and crostini with chicken liver among the traditional starters. As a first course, it points to fresh egg pasta stuffed, for example, with ricotta and spinach or potato, which can be accompanied by ragù, game meat or butter and sage.
Among the main courses, arista appears, the Tuscan name for roast pork loin. It is traditionally seasoned with garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and extra virgin olive oil, and the regional tourist source highlights that it is especially common in Florence.
The sweet end to the meal connects Florence with the traditions of Tuscany as a whole. Panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci are documented by Visit Tuscany as traditional Christmas sweets. Ricciarelli and panforte are particularly associated with Siena, so they are not presented as specialties originating from Florence.
Befanini, on the other hand, are biscuits linked to the Epiphany and especially popular in Lucca, Versilia and Garfagnana, although they are also consumed in the rest of Tuscany. Vin Santo also appears in regional festive gastronomy as an accompaniment to sweets and at the end of the meal. These references describe Tuscan gastronomic customs and do not guarantee their presence at the 2026 Weihnachtsmarkt stalls.
Regarding purchases at the market itself, official information confirms artistic crafts, typical products, gift ideas and handmade Christmas decorations. No specific products are attributed to specific merchants as long as there is no more detailed official list of the 2026 stalls.
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The Mercato di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce will close on 20 December 2026, according to the calendar published by FeelFlorence.
This means that the main market ends before Christmas Eve and does not continue during Christmas, New Year's Eve or Epiphany. Those who want to visit it should, therefore, plan their stay between 14 November and 20 December.
The city's Christmas programme does continue after the Weihnachtsmarkt closes. The 2026 official calendar includes lighting and other winter activities during December, but these should not be confused with the Santa Croce market.
The festive season also reaches 6 January with the traditional Cavalcata dei Magi, a Florentine celebration linked to the Epiphany.
For those who want to combine the markets and heritage of Florence with a stay in the Tuscan countryside, Tenuta di Artimino, a member of Meliá Collection is the Meliá Hotels International option included in this guide.
The property is located in Artimino, in the municipality of Carmignano, outside the centre of Florence. Therefore, visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt in Piazza Santa Croce requires travel to the city.
| Hotel | Nearby market | Distance/transport | Approximate time | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenuta di Artimino, a member of Meliá Collection | Mercato di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce | Travel by road to Florence | Variable depending on traffic and means of transport | Combine Florence with a stay in the Tuscan countryside |
Its location allows you to plan a visit to the Florence markets as an excursion from Artimino and return afterwards to a rural Tuscan setting. No fixed travel time is established, as it may vary depending on traffic, the means of transport used and the specific point of arrival in Florence.
The Santa Croce market is only one part of the winter calendar. The lighting of the main Christmas trees in Florence is scheduled for 8 December 2026, starting with the one in front of the Duomo. That same period gives way to Florence Lights Up, with the illumination of monumental spaces such as Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchio.
In Piazza del Duomo, the nativity scene installed in front of Santa Maria del Fiore links the December celebrations with the Epiphany. On 6 January, this setting becomes the final point of the Cavalcata dei Magi, a tradition documented in Florence since the 15th century and recovered in the contemporary era.
Tuscan Christmas is also experienced around the table. Crostini, stuffed pasta and arista give way to sweets such as panforte, ricciarelli or cavallucci, regional specialties linked to these holidays.
And when evening falls, Florence invites you to continue without too much hurry. The lights around the Duomo, the streets of the centre and a shared table after a walk provide the setting; a piece of Tuscan sweet or a glass of Vin Santo can provide the finishing touch. It is a Christmas also made of those simple moments: warming up, lingering over the meal and enjoying the city when the last light of the day gives way to the festive decorations.
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Culture
As the evenings draw in and the lights begin to twinkle around the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the bridges over the Arno, Florence slowly enters the Christmas season. Amidst Renaissance facades, decorated shop windows and the aroma of vin brulè in Santa Croce, a stroll through the centre takes on an atmosphere unlike any other time of year.
The Christmas markets in Florence have a clearly documented protagonist in 2026: the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt in Piazza Santa Croce. Official city tourist information confirms it will be held from 14 November to 20 December, with more than fifty stalls set up in wooden huts.
Unlike destinations with numerous permanent markets spread throughout the centre, the official information available for Florence does not yet allow us to confirm an equivalent network of Christmas markets in 2026. Therefore, this guide does not include craft fairs, ice rinks or ordinary markets that simply coincide with December as such.
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All-terrain writer specialising in tourism, fashion and trends. A curious soul, traveller, reader and sports enthusiast, keen to discover every corner of the world.
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