Florentine New Year: Celebrating an Ancient Tradition on March 25

Florentine New Year: Celebrating an Ancient Tradition on March 25

Every year on March 25, Florence celebrates one of its most distinctive and historical festivals: the Florentine New Year. Recognized as an official celebration by the City of Florence, this unique event has deep roots in medieval tradition and religious significance.

The choice of March 25 as the beginning of the year dates back to the Middle Ages, when Florence adopted this day as the start of the civil calendar. The date coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Catholic Church commemorates the moment the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus—exactly nine months before Christmas.

While most of Europe adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582, shifting the new year to January 1, Florence clung to its own custom for much longer. It wasn’t until 1749, under the rule of Grand Duke Francesco III of Lorraine, that Florence officially aligned with the rest of Europe and began the civil year on January 1.

Despite the change in the calendar, Florence has kept the spirit of its traditional new year alive. Each year, the city commemorates the Capodanno Fiorentino with a historical parade that winds through the city’s streets. The procession starts from the Palagio di Parte Guelfa and makes its way to the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, a sacred place that once attracted pilgrims from the surrounding countryside who came to honor a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary.

According to legend, the fresco of the “Glorious Virgin” in the basilica was painted in 1252 by a friar named Bartolomeo, one of the Servite monks who founded the church. However, when he reached the point of painting the Virgin’s face, he was overcome by a creative block. After many unsuccessful attempts, he was about to abandon the work entirely. One evening, as the story goes, he fell into a sudden and deep sleep. When he awoke, the face of the Virgin had been miraculously completed—painted by angels during the night. This miracle gave the image a special status, and it became an object of deep veneration.

To this day, couples about to be married visit the Basilica to lay a bouquet of flowers before the image and ask for a blessing for their union—a touching continuation of a centuries-old devotion.

The Florentine New Year is more than a historical curiosity; it is a living tradition that celebrates the city’s spiritual heritage and its proud sense of identity. For both residents and visitors, it offers a glimpse into Florence’s unique past and a chance to take part in a celebration that has endured through the centuries.


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