Rovereto tells its story at Christmas

First stop: Teatro Zandonai

Your journey through time begins in Corso Bettini, famous for its elegant historic buildings. As you walk through the entrance of one of these buildings, it will feel like stepping through a door into the past, taking you back to the end of the 18^th century.

Engineers, builders, soldiers and commoners will invite you to retrace the history of the Zandonai Theatre, from its foundation in 1784 to the 1920s, when a young Riccardo Zandonai took his first steps in his famous career as a conductor in Rovereto.

'A teatro! A teatro!' (To the theatre! To the theatre!) is the name of the theatrical tour offered by the Zandonai Theatre during the Christmas markets. It is an engaging experience that allows you to discover a piece of the city's history.

Second stop: Mart

From the Zandonai Theatre, you can't help but move on to the Mart, Rovereto's Museum of Contemporary Art, right opposite.

This time, your journey through time begins much further back, in the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the Christmas markets and until 22 March 2026, the museum will be hosting the exhibition 'Sport. Le sfide del corpo' (Sport. The challenges of the body). A journey back over two thousand years to admire more than three hundred works celebrating sport, the human body and its victories but also its fragility.

A break in the heart of the Christmas markets

Now it's time for a break. Who said the magic of Christmas is for kids? From November 22, 2025, to January 6, 2026, the Rovereto Christmas markets will host many stands dedicated to food lovers, among steaming glasses of mulled wine and typical traditional dishes.

If you're looking for something special, you can choose from a variety of tasting experiences. From discovering the secrets of coffee roasting at Caffè Bontadi (in the center of Rovereto) to visiting wineries just outside the city to taste grappa and glasses of Trentodoc and Marzemino, the ruby ​​red wine, an absolute must in Vallagarina.

Third stop: At the top of Rovereto Castle

Before leaving Rovereto and its Christmas markets, you must take the short climb to the castle where you will find the MITAG - Italian War History Museum.

Here are three good reasons why.

The first is to see its vast museum, a landmark for history and story enthusiasts.

The second is to visit this winter's temporary exhibitions: 'Diary from the Front. Livio Senigalliesi Photographic Anthology Exhibition 1991-2020' and 'What do we know about it? Reflections on Italian colonialism'.

The third reason is for the spectacular view of the city that you can admire from the castle towers.

Fourth stop: the villages of Vallagarina

From the monumental nativity scenes in Nomi to Christmas in the Baroque palaces of Ala, from the Krampus parade in Mori to Christmas celebrated under the walls of Avio Castle. If you can't get enough of stories, the best place to find more of them is in the villages of Vallagarina, a stone's throw from Rovereto.

During the Christmas period, each of these showcases its most interesting offerings, creating a mosaic of events that show many different ways of celebrating Christmas.