THIS CAN BE a good time to visit Florence and enjoy the city's museums and churches in tranquillity. It can be bitterly cold, but the skies are blue and the city is often bathed in golden sunlight, making this many photographers' favourite season. All over Tuscany, town squares are filled with the aroma of roasting chestnuts, and in December, the last of the olive crop is being harvested in the southernmost parts.

December

• Fiaccole di Natale, or Festival of Christmas Torches (Christmas Eve), Abbadia di San Salvatore, near Montalcino. Carols and torchlight processions in memory of the shepherds from the first Christmas Eve.

January

• Capodanno. New Year's Day is celebrated with gusto all over Tuscany. There are firework displays and volleys from hunters firing into the air and from exploding firecrackers: all are part of a ritual to frighten away the ghosts and spirits of the old year and welcome in the new.
• Pitti Immagine Uomo, Pitti Immagine Donna, Pitti Immagine Bimbo (throughout January), Fortezza da Basso, Florence. At these prestigious fashion shows, leading Italian designers and international couturiers present their spring and summer collections for men, women and children.

February

• Carnevale (Shrove Tuesday), Viareggio. The timing of carnival varies with Easter. This one is renowned throughout Italy for its amusing floats, often inspired by topical themes. There are many other opportunities to enjoy pre-Lent celebrations, such as the equally splendid carnival festivities that take place in San Gimignano and Arezzo.