Holiday marks the start of the Christmas season in Italy.
Italy marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic holy day, with a national public holiday on 8 December.
This year the holiday falls on a Monday, resulting in a long weekend and the closure of Italy’s schools and public offices.
One of the main events associated with the day in Italy is the pope’s pilgrimage to the statue of the Madonna at Piazza Mignanelli in Rome.
In a tradition dating back to 1958, the pope leaves a floral wreath at the base of the 19th-century Column of the Immaculate Conception near the Spanish Steps.
Firefighters will also place a garland of flowers on the top of the 12 metre-high statue of the Madonna.
Pope Leo XIV will venerate the statue at 16.00 on 8 December, the Vatican has confirmed, leading to traffic restrictions in the area.
The day, known as L’Immacolata, is also viewed as the official start of the Christmas shopping season in Italy.
A popular Roman tradition associated with 8 December is the illumination of the capital’s Christmas tree, in Piazza del Popolo, however no official announcement has been made yet.
Rome’s mayor traditionally switches on the lights of the tree followed by the Christmas lights along the central Via del Corso on the evening of 8 December.
