It doesn’t happen very often – first time in almost 30 years – but heavy snows blanketed Rome this week. All of Europe has suffered through cold temperatures and Rome was no exception. Large flakes started falling early in the day and they just kept coming, closing historical sites and snarling traffic. This is the first heavy snowfall in Rome since 1986. The Colosseo, Forum, and Palatine were closed as icy walkways caused concerns for visitors’ safety. Minor car accidents occurred all around town – even on the heavily traveled ring-road as cars skidded and crashed.
Some parts of the city received 3-5 inches of snow in just a few hours. Cars without tire chains were ordered off the road and abandoned cars were spread everywhere throughout the city. The snow began on Friday yet Rome’s mayor extended the shutdown of schools through Monday and said city offices would also be closed Monday. Thousands of people were trapped on trains throughout Italy, some without heat, as the country struggled with the snow and icy temperatures.
In 2010 we endured a brief snowstorm. Snowfall began about 07:00 and by 08:30 the city was a mess. Cars and buses were stranded as this is a city with NO snow plan and limited snow equipment. My wife made it to her school but many of the buses carrying the children were stuck in traffic. By 11:00 school was cancelled as some buses were JUST arriving. Then they had to turn around and take the teachers and students home. At 14:00 the sun came out and by 15:00 ALL the snow was gone. Not the case this week, as the snow stayed and more snow fell the following day.
For more info in the snowfall, or to see more great pictures, click on any of the website credits to see the story or site these photos came from. Il Post and the Sacramento Bee had some of the best AP/Wire photos and many of them are below. So here are some incredible pictures that you don’t see but once every thirty years – Enjoy!
St. Peters – from the Daily Mail at Mail Online
Riding a bike in heavy snowfall – from the newZgrid.com
The Forum – photo from SkyNEWS-HD
Sledding at the Colosseo – Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post
Motorini in downtown Rome – Photo from ctpost.com
Crossing Ponte Milvo in the snow – Photo from Angelo Ferraris
Piazza Navona in the snow – Photo by Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse, from Il Post
Piazza del Popolo – Photo from Explore Online
Skier near the Forum – Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images, from telegraph.com.au
But did he get the umbrella for €3 or €5?
Photo by Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse, from Il Post
Circo Massimo and Palentine Hill – Photo by Fabio Polimeni/AP, from ctpost.com
Tevere – photo by Andrew Medichini/AP Photo, from the The Sacramento Bee
Trevi Fountain – Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images – from Il Post
Public Transportation around the city stops – Photo from www.alriyadh.com
Arch of Constantine – Photo by Mauro Scrobogna /LaPresse, from Il Post
Bridge in Central Rome – Photo by Riccardo De Luca, AP – from seattlepi
Heavy evening snowfall at the Colosseo – Photo from Dawn.com
St. Peter’s Square – Photo from The Sacramento Bee
Janiculum Hill – Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post
On Via dei Fori Imperiale – Photo by Andrew Medichini, AP Photo, from The Sacramento Bee
Two girls from the Philippines take a self-timer photo in front of the Colosseum on Saturday.
Photo by Andrew Medichini/Associated Press – from CBC News
Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images – from Il Post
Spanish Steps – from the Daily Mail at Mail Online
Rome neighborhood – Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post
The Pope overlooking snowfall in St. Peter’s Square – Photo from apriestdownunder.com
Some Video of the Snowfall
Header and Photos:
Isola Tiberina – Photo By Daily Mail at Mail Online
Small Colosseo photo – from timesunion.com
Thanks for all the great transportation info. We were stuck trying to get from Rome to airport on this snowy morning. I had several of your pages on trains, metro, and the airports saved on my iPhone and we managed to lead a group of Americans from Roma Termini (where they had nobody to drive the Leonardo Express). We showed them how to use the Metro to get to Ostiense Train Station where we got the first train out of Rome to the airport late that morning.Then we used your airport maps to figure out how to get to T5. The saving grace was that the plane crew was also delayed. We all made it out of Rome that day and thanked Ron in Rome!
Beautiful!
We were just in Roma for Christmas and it was fun seeing all our old familar places coveered in snow.
The collection of photos are beautiful. THANKS!