With warming temperatures, poppy-spotted fields, and a re-energized cafe culture, spring in Italy is a fantastic time to visit this gorgeous Mediterranean country.
So popular is Italy as a destination, with its epic Roman history and stunning coastline, that it’s highly recommended to visit outside of summer. Swap the high-season crowds for blooming bougainvillea and the best sea-view tables with a visit between March and May.
Experience peaceful archaeological parks and the unbridled delight of the Italians to have winter behind them with a visit to Italy in spring. Here’s what to expect.
Pleasant Hiking Weather
Mount Vesuvius, Naples
If you’re interested in completing any of the country’s scenic hikes, spring in Italy is the ideal time to visit. The weather, especially in the southern half of the peninsula, is optimal for following centuries-old pathways connecting ancient fishing towns.
Of course, the step-count doesn’t just rack up on the lush Tuscan hills or at scenic Lake Bracciano in Lazio. When ticking off the countless cultural sights of Florence or Rome, you can be thankful for not having the high beam of summer overhead.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
With both of these cities, temperatures begin to heat up in May and then are still very tolerable with highs of around 74°F (23°C). So while hats and water are important to carry, the conditions are pleasant for crossing the Ponte Vecchio in Florence or strolling among the ruins of the Roman Forum.
In the evenings, just carry a cardigan or a light sweater if you want to dine al fresco with your cacio e pepe.
Capri
Travel further south, and you’ll encounter similarly fine temperatures. On the island of Capri, lace up your hiking shoes and, in temperatures of around 70-72°F (21- 22 °C), explore Emperor Hadrian’s cliff-side summer house. Or walk up to the famous Greek Theater above the Sicilian town of Taormina.
Meanwhile, May highs of 77°F (25°C) in the baroque city of Lecce, Puglia, will encourage a gentler pace, with more stops for stracciatella gelato. Even traveling north to the region of Liguria, or “The Italian Riviera” as it’s also called, will reward you with very pleasant temperatures and plenty of sunshine.
Portofino
The epic-yet-dinky destinations of Portofino and Cinque Terre have, by March and April, not yet received their summertime crowds at this time. Springtime scenic walks between Portofino and Santa Margherita or along Cinque Terre’s Sentiero Azzurro are highly recommended.
Historic Sights Without the Crowds
Colosseum, Rome
During the summer, visitors to the Roman Colosseum are advised to bolt out of bed early, rush breakfast, and arrive early beside the amphitheater to avoid the crowds and withering midday heat.
If you’re not an early riser, the spring itinerary may suit you better. While there will be others joining you for the Colosseum tours—Rome is a year-round destination—you will have more leeway to enjoy your morning cappuccino.
Vatican
The same goes for the Vatican, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and other major sites of the capital. Just be sure to double-check opening times, especially as March is often grouped with the winter schedule at cultural sights throughout the country.
Visiting Rome’s historic Campo de’ Fiori in spring gives you the chance to see the jostling market stalls brightened with flowers supplied by local growers. By April’s end in Rome’s Villa Borghese park—one of the city’s most eclectic and capacious green lungs—picnic blankets are being unfurled along its lakeside lawn area.
Square of Miracles, Pisa
Travel south to Campania, and the excavated lanes of ancient Pompeii are much more passable. Sparrows dart between the Temple of Jupiter and the House of the Faun, and the quieter ambiance enhances the visit. In Pisa’s Square of Miracles, it’s possible to get a shot of the Leaning Tower without a crowd milling in the foreground.
Gondola ride, Venice
Over the centuries, much has been written about the quality of the light in Venice. In spring, with markedly fewer bodies to absorb it, you can better appreciate what artists such as Canaletto and Matisse were trying to capture in their paintings. Gondolas are also much easier to rent in the spring.
Easter Festivities
Venice
Spring in Italy is a brilliant time for celebrations, particularly those related to the Christian calendar. If you arrive at the beginning of March, you can even catch the tail end of one of the country’s most well-known: the masked Venetian Carnevale that usually runs into the first week of the month.
If you travel on March 19, ensure you’ve packed some red clothing. The Festival of San Giuseppe, the patron saint of working people, takes place on this date. Sicily and Naples are particularly well known for their colorful processions and for building altars to this working-class saint, decorated with sculptural bread.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
It’s also the only time of year that you can try the Zeppole di San Giuseppe—a cream-filled, cherry-topped pastry that’s specially prepared for the celebration.
With April comes Easter—a popular holiday throughout Catholic Italy. The Pope leads the country’s most significant procession along the capital’s Via Crucis, which begins inside the Colosseum.
On Easter Sunday, Florence celebrates the Scoppio del Carro—a festival that dates back to the Crusades. Its ancient rites involve a 500-year-old cart trundling through the city before shooting off fireworks in front of the Duomo.
Infiorata
With the arrival of the warm breezes of May, flower festivals festoon the weathered stone piazzi of Italian cities and towns. The Infiorata, celebrating the feast of Corpus Domini, arrives late in the month and sees streets coated in carpets of flowers.
May is also the month of the Giro d’Italia—the Italian “Tour de France” and a celebration of the country’s obsession with cycling. This year, the route passes through Alberobello and Lecce in Puglia, before making its way north through Naples, Lucca, Pisa, and finally into Rome.
Incredible Spring Gardens
Boboli Gardens, Florence
During spring in Italy, even the city streets can feel like well-kept gardens. The climate is so conducive to bounteous floral excess that window boxes and seaview promenades overflow with scintillating hues and fragrance.
With such wonderful raw materials to work with, it’s little surprise that the Italians are pros when executing elaborate formal gardens. If you’re visiting Florence during spring, you’d be remiss not to visit the Boboli Gardens.
Planted behind the Pitti Palace, this 16th-century garden is a springtime epic of stunning sculpture, razor-sharp right-angles on the privet, and champion rose bushes.
Villa Borghese, Rome
It’s a similar story in Rome. Along with the Villa Borghese, make a beeline for the Rose Gardens of the Aventine Hill, the obelisk and pines of Villa Celimontana, and the Giardino degli Aranci’s orange-scented views of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Or take a day trip from Rome to the Villa d’Este Gardens in Tivoli. These UNESCO-listed Italian gardens are an example of Renaissance-era design and ingenuity. The course of a river was altered to fuel the incredible number of water features found here, including over 50 fountains. A visit is a must during spring in Italy.
Springtime Culinary Specialties
Pappa al pomodoro
Mornings and evenings in March and April, even at more southerly latitudes, can still carry a chill. Don’t view this as a negative—it offers you a chance to explore Italy’s oft-overlooked pantheon of heartier cuisine.
Tuscany is one of Italy’s comfort food heartlands. Trips to Pisa, Florence, or Lucca provide the famished fortunate with menus featuring the bean-rich regional specialties of Tuscany. If you’re arriving early in spring, warming Italian dishes include pappa al pomodoro, ribollita, and potato tortelli. For carnivores, there’s always the unparalleled Florentine Steak.
Come later in the season, and you’ll taste just-plucked asparagus and ruby-red strawberries that will ruin your palate for the paling-in-comparison produce back home.
Tortellini in brodo
Bologna, the capital of the Emilia Romagna region, is arguably one of the best food cities in Italy. Difficult though it is, try to look beyond classics such as tortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragu, and lasagna alla Bolognese, and scan the specials board instead. At this time, the Agnello di Primavera—grilled spring lamb—served with fresh green peas is a marvel.
Early spring in Venice is also the time for a very particular delicacy—the moeche, or green soft-shelled crabs. The crabs molt twice a year, and before they’ve managed to re-armor themselves the Venetian fishermen seize them in great multitudes. Floured, fried, and zingy with squeezed lemon, moeche are crunchy and delicious.
Best Regions to Visit in Spring
If you’re considering a multi-destination visit to springtime Italy, then these are the regions where the combination of wonderful weather and fewer fellow travelers combine to perfection.
Puglia
Lecce
Puglia, the “heel” of the Italian boot, sees temperatures shoot up from highs of around 52°F (11°C) in March to 73°F (23°C) in May. Its coastline is washed by the Adriatic and the Ionian seas, offering the opportunity to visit some of Italy’s most beautiful beaches while still outside of high season.
Puglia has a nice diversity of destinations to visit—and, in relation to Rome or Florence, the region is considered off the beaten path. Lecce, famed for its baroque old town, makes for a rich cultural day trip. The local pastries are pretty delicious as well.
Alberobello
On a smaller scale is the UNESCO-listed village of Alberobello, its hive of pointy trulli houses all the more picture-perfect when brightened with spring blooms.
The historic promenade of Brindisi, the endpoint of the Via Appia Roman road, has returned to life after the winter, while the white-washed town of Ostuni is a charming maze of cafés and boutiques.
Tuscany
Florence
Despite being significantly more northerly than Puglia, Tuscany sees spring temperatures similar to those of the south. The sands of Viareggio and Maremma may feel a little too cool for a beach day, however, headline cities like Lucca and Florence are much less crowded and their rooftop cocktail bars are open for business.
Campania
Naples
Campania is a stunning southern region, home to the herds of buffalo that produce the world’s finest buffalo mozzarella for arguably the world’s tastiest pizza. While there’s much to experience in the region’s hinterland, most travelers focus on the Gulf of Naples.
Naples’ star is currently in the ascendant, thanks to the clean-up of the city and its ever compelling culinary and cultural mix. A spring visit will allow you to stroll the Quartieri Spagnoli without having to push through crowds or wait too long for your freshly baked, cream-filled sfogliatelle. Capri and Ischia are also an uncrowded ferry ride away.
Pompeii
From the city’s central station, a half hour train deposits you at Pompeii, and a little further south are the lemon-scented charms of the Sorrento Peninsula.
Sicily
Messina, Sicily
Much more than simply an Italian region, Sicily is an ever-popular destination that deserves to be enjoyed outside of the high season. April and May see temperatures rise from 69°F (21°C) to 73°F (23°C).
Taormina is fragranced with orange blossom at this time, and the fertile, wildflower-strewn slopes of Mount Etna make for spectacular hikes.
Spring Shopping
Trastevere, Rome
Get a jump on summer fashions with a spring shopping trip to Rome. Check out Via dell’Oca for exclusive upscale boutiques, the historic La Rinascente department store, or hunt down vintage fashions in the Monti and Trastevere neighborhoods. Check out 18 MQ Vintage Store while in the latter, before celebrating your finds with a gelato at nearby Otaleg.
Ostuni in Puglia is another wonderful shopping experience, especially outside of the jam-packed summer. Wander the historic center’s maze of white-washed alleys to happen across tiny cafés, shops selling handmade crafts, and galleries.
Lucca in spring offers a similarly engaging shopping experience. Its Via Fillungo high street balances high-end labels with artisan workshops.
Sorrento
Finally, Sorrento is a shopper’s paradise. The handbag shops almost outnumber the fragrant lemon trees that the town is known for. It’s a brilliant place to build up a wardrobe for the warmer months.
Silk scarves are in profusion, as are cool summer shirts and artisan hand-made sandals that are cheaper than on nearby Capri. And, with this being Italy in spring, you can slip them on straight away.
Venice
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