Month guide · Bologna · Italy
Bologna in December
What December is really like in Bologna: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
December is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 7°C (45°F), lows of 1°C (34°F), about 7 rainy days and roughly 8.8 hours of daylight. Christmas lights and stalls under the porticoes, and a big New Year's Eve tradition in Piazza Maggiore.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 7°C (45°F) / 1°C (34°F)
- Rainy days
- About 7
- Daylight
- About 8.8 hours
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in December
December is the 11th-warmest month in Bologna: days average 7°C (45°F) against a yearly average high of 19°C (66°F), and nights fall to about 1°C (34°F). Rain falls on roughly 7 of its 31 days. Compared with November (12°C (54°F)), December is cooler; by January highs stay near 6°C (43°F).
- Sunrise (15 December)
- About 07:45
- Sunset (15 December)
- About 16:36
- Daylight
- About 8.8 hours
Winter (December–February). Cold and misty, but the porticoes keep you dry; Christmas stalls, tortellini in brodo and low prices outside fair dates.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, December rates 3 for crowds (the peak is April at 4) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in March). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in December
- Fiera di Santa Lucia — Christmas stalls under the portico of Santa Maria dei Servi (December)
- Rogo del Vecchione — a giant 'old man' effigy burned in Piazza Maggiore at midnight (31 December)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in December
With cold days, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Museum · University Quarter (Via Zamboni)
Palazzo Poggi Museum
The university museum in a frescoed 16th-century palace displays the collections of the 18th-century Institute of Sciences: anatomical wax models, obstetric teaching models, ship models, maps and natural-history specimens arranged as they were for students.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · San Domenico
Basilica of San Domenico
Look closely at the two kneeling, candle-bearing angels at the base of the Arca: one of them is by Michelangelo, carved when he was about 20.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Religious site · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
Santa Maria della Vita
Just off the Quadrilatero, this Baroque church holds Niccolò dell'Arca's Lamentation over the Dead Christ, a 15th-century group of life-size terracotta figures whose faces and gestures express grief with startling force.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- History
Architecture · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
Biblioteca Salaborsa
It is free, central and has free Wi-Fi, which makes it a useful rainy-day stop between sights.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
- Architecture
What to pack
For highs near 7°C, lows near 1°C and 7 wet days: a warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers; shoes with good grip for icy pavements; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is December a good time to visit Bologna?
A shoulder-season month, with 2 notable events on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, April–June and September–October are better overall. Compare every month.
Bologna in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is December a good time to visit Bologna?
It is a shoulder-season month. Christmas lights and stalls under the porticoes, and a big New Year's Eve tradition in Piazza Maggiore.
+How warm is Bologna in December?
Average highs are around 7°C (45°F) and lows around 1°C (34°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Bologna in December?
Expect rain on about 7 days of the month.