A cute and cozy guide to the four seasons of the year in Italian

Sunglasses for summer, a scarf for fall, gloves for winter and an umbrella for spring. Put all of these things in your travel bag - we’re about to embark on a journey of the four seasons in Italy!

Learning about the seasons in Italian is more than memorizing the Italian months of the year and recalling weather terms in Italian. It’s also about understanding Italian culture and how it can be heavily influenced by the seasons. Simply put, understanding Italy’s seasons can help you better connect with its culture!

For instance, many people in Italy are accustomed to “seasonal living,” or adapting to the ebbs and flows of seasonal changes and incorporating them into their daily routines. The best example of this is eating seasonally, like using fruits and vegetables primarily during their peak times, rather than using frozen ingredients all year round.

In this article, we’ll examine the four seasons while highlighting useful vocabulary and typical holidays that occur in each one. We’ll even practice some seasonal language that you can use at different points of the year, and most certainly give you ideas for what clothes you’ll need to wear!

The seasons in Italian

Before we explore each season, we need to have pizza. Yes, you read that right! Pizza.

If you’ve ever been to an Italian pizzeria, you may have noticed or tried an iconic pizza on the menu: Le Quattro Stagioni - the four seasons!

This isn’t just a clever name for a popular pizza, though. Each ingredient actually represents each of the four seasons, and is confined to one part of the pizza. It’s actually my go-to pizza, because it’s like you’re eating four different pizzas in one!

The four ingredients vary depending on the region you’re in, but you can typically find the following:

• Tomatoes and/or basil (i pomodori e/o il basilico) represent Summer - L’estate
• Mushrooms (i funghi) represent Fall/Autumn - L’autunno
• Cooked ham (il prosciutto cotto) or Olives (le olive) represent Winter - L’inverno
• Artichokes (i carciofi) represent Spring - La primavera

We’re going to come back to this pizza when we look at each season individually. For now, here’s an overview of each season, including how to say “rainy” and “dry” seasons.

English	Italian	Pronunciation	IPA
Season / Seasons	la stagione / le stagioni	sta-joe-neh / sta-joe-nee	staˈdʒone | staˈdʒoni
Summer	l’estate	eh-sta-teh	esˈtate
Autumn / Fall	l’autunno	ow-two-no	au̯ˈtunno
Winter	l’inverno	een-ver-no	inˈvɛrno
Spring	la primavera	pree-ma-ver-ah	primaˈvɛra
The rainy season	la stagione delle piogge	sta-joan-na deh-leh pyo-ja	la staˈdʒone ˈdelle ˈpjɔddʒe
The dry season	la stagione secca	sta-joan-na seh-ka	la staˈdʒone ˈsekka

Summer in Italian

Welcome to our first stop: Summer in Italian! Think about the ripe tomatoes and green basil on our pizza. This season represents everything that is fresh and cool, even though the temperatures in Italy have risen to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius) and broke record highs in 2021.

This first table shows you the typical range of Summer months in Italy and the surrounding Italian-speaking countries or regions. For the most part, June to August is considered to be the Summer season, with August as its peak month.

Country	Summer months range	Additional notes /facts
Italy + Vatican City	June-August	August is the most typical summer month..
Switzerland	June-August	The summer “tourist” season typically starts in May.
San Marino	June-August	Summers in San Marino are typically warm and humid.
Croatia	June-August	Summers tend to be hot and dry.
Slovenia	June-August	Compared to Italy, this destination is not as crowded in the summer.

Notable summer holidays in Italy

Most Italians will take their annual holidays in August, and it will usually align with this important national holiday:

• August 15: Ferragosto

Ferragosto comes from the Latin phrase, “Feriae Augusti”, loosely translating to “Augustus’ Vacation”. It was introduced in 18 BCE by the Emperor Augustus and called for a period of rest and appreciating the harvest from a summer of cultivation. Nowadays, you’ll find Italians spending this day with their families or friends, whether it’s on the beach or at a local sagra (town festival).

Throughout most of Italy, hardly anything is open on this day. In fact, most businesses will actually close down for a week or two around this holiday. However, it’s also a peak tourism period, so this tradition is slightly changing in more popular cities, like Rome or Florence. In any case, it’s a good piece of information to keep in mind if you plan on traveling throughout Italy in August!

Italian summer words

Here is a list of common words that you would probably use in the summertime. We’ll use some of these in helpful sentences later on!

English	Italian	Pronunciation	IPA
Hot	caldo/a	kal-doe / kal-da	ˈkaldo | ˈkalda
Sunny	soleggiato/a	so-leh-ja-toe / so-leh-ja-tah	soledˈdʒato | soledˈdʒata
Dry	secco/a	sek-ko / sek-ka	ˈsekko | ˈsekka
Thirsty	assetato/a	ah-se-tah-to / ah-se-tah-ta	asseˈtato | asseˈtata
Gelato/Ice cream	gelato	je-lah-toe	dʒeˈlato
Aperol Spritz	Aperol Spritz / Spritz con Aperol	ah-peer-all spritz / spritz con ah-peer-all	aˈpɛrto spritts | spritts ˈkon aperol
Campari Spritz	Campari Spritz / Spritz con Campari	kam-par-ee spritz / spritz con kam-par-ee	kampari spritts | spritts ˈkon kampari
Swimming	il nuoto	nu-oh-to	ˈnwɔto
Beach	la spiaggia	spee-ah-ja	ˈspjaddʒa
Beach chair	il lettino	leh-tee-no	letˈtino
Sunglasses	gli occhiali da sole	oh-kya-lee da so-leh	okˈkjali da ˈssole
Snow cone/Italian ice	la granita	gra-nee-ta	ɡraˈnita
Popsicle	il ghiacciolo	gya-cho-low	ɡjatˈtʃɔlo
Festival / Neighborhood or town festival	la sagra	sah-gra	ˈsaɡra

Fall in Italian

Ah, can you hear the crisp sound of leaves under your boots? We’ve arrived at our next season: Fall in Italian.

In Italy, sweater weather typically starts in late September. If you’re visiting Italy in one of the fall months, make sure to bring a jacket and dress in layers. Speaking of that, this period is a great time to visit Italy, as it tends to be less crowded when compared to the summer months.

Country	Fall months range	Additional notes /facts
Italy + Vatican City	Late September - late December	Most of September tends to be warm like August, but then quickly shifts to cooler weather by month’s end.
Switzerland	September - late November	October can already bring below freezing temperatures in the mountain chains!
San Marino	Late September - late December	Most of September tends to be warm like August, but then quickly shifts to cooler weather by month’s end.
Croatia	October - December	The further north you go, the earlier fall begins.
Slovenia	September - late November	Most of September tends to be warm like August, but then quickly shifts to cooler weather by month’s end.

Notable Fall holidays in Italy

Some of Italy’s national holidays involve feast days from the Catholic church.

• October 31*: Halloween

• November 1 - Tutti i Santi (All Saints’ Day)

Celebrated after Halloween, this day celebrates the saints of the Catholic church. Depending on where you are in Italy, the weather in November can actually feel more like winter, so it’s common to start roasting chestnuts or le castagne on this day!

*Not a national holiday, but still celebrated

Italian Fall words

Let’s think back to our pizza again. The mushrooms or i funghi are fresh and just waiting to be picked. Imagine foraging for i funghi after a rainstorm. Then, you come back home to sit by a fire and roast le castagne as you cheer on your favorite team while watching il calcio on TV. It’s the epitome of coziness and fall in Italy!

English	Italian	Pronunciation	IPA
Leaves	le foglie	fo-lee-eh	ˈfɔʎʎe
Orange (color)	arancione	ah-rahn-cho-neh	aranˈtʃone
Cooling down	il raffreddamento	ra-fred-ah-men-toe	raffreddaˈmento
Harvest	il raccolto	ra-kol-toe	rakˈkɔlto
Pumpkin	la zucca	zoo-ka	ˈtsukka
Fog	la nebbia	neh-bya	ˈnebbja
Chestnuts	le castagne	kas-tahn-yeh	kasˈtaɲɲe
Mushrooms	i funghi	foon-ghee	ˈfunɡi
Truffles	i tartufi	tar-too-fee	tarˈtufi
Soccer	il calcio	kal-cho	ˈkaltʃo

Winter in Italian

Bundle up, it’s Winter in Italian – it’s time to go skiing (or relax in the ski lodge). Italy and Switzerland boast incredible mountain chains, ranging from the Alps to the Dolomites, and this period is a busy time for ski aficionados and other winter sports’ lovers.

Country	Winter months range	Additional notes /facts
Italy + Vatican City	Late December - late February	January is typically the coldest month.
Switzerland	Late November - late February	January is typically the coldest month.
San Marino	Late December - late February	January is typically the coldest month.
Croatia	Late December - late February	January is typically the coldest month.
Slovenia	Late December - mid-March	January is typically the coldest month.

Notable Winter holidays in Italy

The winter period contains quite a few holidays, and it’s not uncommon for Italians to take some holiday time from Natale (Christmas) to L’Epifania (The Epiphany).

• December 8 - La Festa della Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

This typically kicks off the winter period in most cities.

• December 24* - La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve)

Many families will celebrate with a large fish dinner on Christmas Eve.

• December 25 - Natale (Christmas Day)

• December 26 - Santo Stefano (Boxing Day / St. Stephen’s Day)

This day is usually celebrated with friends or family.

• December 31* - La Vigilia di Capodanno / La notte di San Silvestro (New Year’s Eve / St. Silvester’s Day)

• January 1 - Capodanno (New Year’s Day)

• January 6 - L’Epifania (The Epiphany)

This holiday is nearly as important as Natale, and children receive gifts from La Befana (a good Christmas witch).

*Not a national holiday, but still celebrated

Italian winter words

This season on our pizza is represented by il prosciutto cotto (ham) and le olive (olives), hearty foods that make up filling meals to keep you warm. Just imagine ordering a spiked eggnog or un bombardino at your ski lodge before heading to the thermal spas or le terme to warm up on a freezing day. A picture of total relaxation!

English	Italian	Pronunciation	IPA
Cold	freddo/fredda	fred-doe / fred-da	ˈfreddo |ˈfredda
Snowing	nevicare	neh-vee-car-eh	neviˈkare
Freezing	ghiacciato/ghiacciata	gya-cha-toe / gya-cha-ta	ɡjatˈtʃato | ɡjatˈtʃata
Ice	il ghiaccio	gya-cho	ˈɡjattʃo
Frost	il gelo	je-low	ˈdʒɛlo
Skiing	sciare	shee-ah-reh	ʃiˈare
Mountains	le montagne	mon-tan-ye	monˈtaɲɲe
Scarf	la sciarpa	shee-ar-pa	ˈʃarpa
Gloves	i guanti	goo-an-tee	ˈɡwanti
Coat	il cappotto	cah-pot-toe	kapˈpɔtto
Spiked eggnog	il bombardino	bom-bar-dee-no	bombarˈdino
Thermal spa	le terme	ter-meh	ˈtɛrme
Christmas markets	i mercatini di natale	mer-cah-tee-nee dee nah-tah-leh	merkaˈtini di naˈtale
Mulled wine	il vin brulé	veen broo-leh	vim bruˈle

Spring in Italian

We’ve made it to our last season: la primavera AKA Spring in Italian! A typical phrase you might hear about this season is: “Marzo è pazzo!” or “March is crazy!” because of the changing temperatures and weather conditions you might experience as the season changes from winter to spring. After that, though, you can expect temperate climates across Italy.

Country	Spring months range	Additional notes /facts
Italy + Vatican City	March - May	Temperatures typically range from 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Switzerland	March - mid-June	Even though there may be more sunshine, it’s still pretty chilly in higher altitudes.
San Marino	March - May	Temperatures typically range from 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Croatia	March - May	Spring is a great time to visit Croatia as you can check out the Plitvice Lakes National Park!
Slovenia	Late March - May	Temperatures typically range from 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Notable Spring holidays in Italy

There are a ton of things worth celebrating in Spring! Our list below contains a mix of both national holidays and other fun holidays that are celebrated by locals. Perhaps the most exciting is Carnevale - a huge celebration with colorful costumes celebrated in Venice!

• March 8* - La giornata internazionale dei diritti della donna / Festa della Donna (International Women’s Day)

Many people celebrate this day by giving a bouquet of mimosa flowers to special women in their life.

• The day before Ash Wednesday / Shrove Tuesday* - Martedi Grasso / Carnevale

This festival is similar to France’s “Mardi Gras” and is full of eating, drinking, and being carefree before the period of Lent begins.

• March 19 - La Festa del Papà - (Father’s Day)

• March or April - Pasqua (Easter Sunday)

• The day after Easter - Pasquetta (Easter Monday)

This day is a national holiday, and is usually spent having a grigliata (BBQ) with friends - weather permitting!

• April 1* - Pesce d’Aprile (April Fool’s Day)

This is literally translated to “April’s Fish”!

• April 25 - La Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day)

This day marks Italy’s liberation from the Fascist regime.

• May 1 - Festa dei Lavoratori (International Workers’ Day)

This day celebrates workers’ rights as well as the labor movement.

• May 14 - La Festa della Mamma (Mother’s Day)

• June 2 - La Festa della Repubblica (Italian Republic Day)

This day celebrates the creation of the Italian Republic in 1946.

*Not a national holiday but still celebrated

Italian spring words

The last slice of our pizza has i carciofi or artichokes, which are in season from March through May. Picture this: it’s a beautiful spring day, and you’re headed to a grigliata to spend time with friends over good food and great weather before taking a walk in the fresh air. Don’t forget to bring a jar of fresh carciofi for the group!

English	Italian	Pronunciation	IPA
Flowers	i fiori	fyor-ee	ˈfjori
Trees	gli alberi	al-ber-ee	ˈalberi
Birds	gli uccellini	oo-che-lee-nee	uttʃelˈlini
Gardening	il giardinaggio	jar-dee-na-joe	dʒardiˈnaddʒo
Mild weather	tempo mite	temp-poh mee-teh	ˈtɛmpo ˈmite
Green	il verde	ver-deh	ˈverde
Going on a walk	fare una passeggiata	fa-re oo-na pass-eh-ja-ta	ˈfare ˈuna passedˈdʒata
Riding a bike	andare in bicicletta	an-dar-eh in bee-chee-kle-teh	anˈdare im bitʃiˈkletta
Barbeque	la grigliata	gree-lya-ta	ɡriʎˈʎata
Wine	il vino	vee-no	ˈvino

Seasonal speech

Here are a few phrases that might come in handy for each season. You can even take a look at the vocabulary in this article to come up with your own!

Summer

• Fa proprio caldo oggi! - It’s so hot today!
• Vorrei un Aperol Spritz, per favore. - I’d like an Aperol Spritz, please.
• Andiamo in spiaggia. Ti va di venire? - We’re going to the beach. Wanna join?
• Dove andrete in vacanza quest’estate? - Where are you guys vacationing this summer?

Fall

• Oggi fa fresco! - It’s chilly today!
• L’autunno è la mia stagione preferita. - Fall is my favorite season.
• Adoro mangiare la pasta con i funghi. - I love eating pasta with mushrooms.
• Per quale squadra fai il tifo? - Which team are you rooting for?

Winter

• Qui si gela! - It’s freezing here!
• Andremo a sciare a dicembre. - We’re going skiing in December.
• Non vedo l’ora che arrivino i mercatini di Natale! - I can’t wait for the Christmas markets!
• Prendo un bombardino, per favore. - I’ll take a spiked eggnog, please.

Spring

• Finalmente è primavera! - It’s finally spring!
• Hai un ombrello? - Do you have an umbrella?
• Facciamo una passeggiata. - Let’s take a walk.
• Le mie allergie stanno peggiorando. - My allergies are acting up.

A song for all seasons

ANTONIO VIVALDI - LE QUATTRO STAGIONI - Filarmonica della Scala diretta da Riccardo Muti

Le Quattro Stagioni is more than just a pizza - it’s a violin concerto, too! In fact, you’ve probably heard it before (especially its famous opening) as it’s Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s most popular piece. Check it out and reflect on the four different moods Vivaldi created in each section to represent each season. It starts with spring and works its way down to winter, so keep that in mind as you listen!

We’ve eaten all of our seasonal pizza!

So, what was your favorite part of the quattro stagioni pizza? Whatever your answer is, always remember that each season has a direct effect on Italian culture throughout the year. Each season introduces important parts of Italy’s culture – just like how those four seasonal ingredients make up a perfect pizza.

In addition to enjoying this new season, we’ll be rounding up our learning with the Italian days of the week, daydreaming about more pizza and looking forward to the next fun and free vocab article lessons on our Italian blog!