Venice, Florence, Rome: How well-lit at night in January?

The piazzas, fountains and main tourist routes will all be well lit

Thanks, that’s a relief!😅

There will also be plenty of people out and about

Sunset is shortly after 5pm, therefore by 5:30pm it will be dark.
Unfortunately there will be no or little moonlight next week as on January 18 it is new moon.
At night artificial light from street lights or cars in January is the same as any other time of the year: plentiful at the tourist sights, probably not too much in the dark alleys. But as Christine said, there are so many people walking around in the city centers of those cities (even the darkest alleys) that you won’t have to fear for your safety. Just be careful aboard crowded buses or subway (or vaporetto in Venice), that is where thieves and pickpockets are most likely to strike.

Greetings!
Thanks for your insights! They surely will be helpful!

I find walking around Venice after dark is lovely. The passages are well lit just about everywhere that I've ever wandered.

The most special of all? Riding a vaporetto, outside at bow or stern if possible, gazing into the lit up array of palazzo after palazzo - the chandeliers are amazing often Murano glass and crystal. When I get to the top (or bottom) of the Grand Canal, I turn around and go the other way seeing what I missed on the previous trip.

I have been going to Venice for many years and a night time ride on the Grand Canal is still one of the top highlights for me.

Venice in winter is COLD so wrap up well. If you think you'll warm up by popping into a church you should know that I consider them fridges or freezers - no heat on inside.

I just came back from spending 5 days in Rome and 4 days in Florence.

Walked 20,000 steps a day, much of it after dark because there are limited daylight hours at this time of year.

Both cities are lit well enough to see and navigate and the big notable structures like the Colosseum in Rome and Duomo in Florence are all lit up. (Wish we could post pics in this forum, so you could see).

But obviously there's a lot you cannot see, just because it's dark.

OK! It seems as though I will not need to take a strap-on miner’s headlamp as I had mused about doing. I suppose that would be overkill, but then again on an earlier thread I had pondered strapping Yaktrax onto my shoes to keep from slipping, so I do tend to overthink such things 🤣

Those parts of Venice that are primarily residential will be well-lit but may be nearly deserted. It's not a problem, but it can feel a little spooky at 10 or 11 pm. Rick has a nice audio guide for the Grand Canal by vaporetto. It's worth doing both during the day and late at night. There are other audio guides for walking tours in all 3 cities. Download for free here.

Especially in Rome, winter is a great time for long walks because the trees are bare and you can see the buildings that are obscured much of the year.

IvanSusanin1613, it's been too many years since I last saw Venice but can assure you that you'll be fine at night in Florence and Rome. While we haven't visited at the time of year you'll be going. - maybe have already left? - we did plenty of walking in both cities after dark and never felt uncomfortable. In fact, both take on an interesting ambiance after dark when the piazzas, monuments and fountains are illuminated. IHMO, Piazza della Signoria in Florence is at its Medieval//Renaissance best at night!

As mentioned above, lots of others will be out and about going to/from dinner, cultural events and whatnot, or just enjoying the atmosphere.

Thanks for the new information! It sounds as though all three cities will be fairly well-lit. (So I definitely won't need the miner's headlamp to stroll at night: that would have looked somewhat ridiculous, ha ha!) We're looking forward to exploring Italy.

I think a miner's headlamp would be the most ridiculous thing ever, unless you plan to dress as a miner in Venice around Carnival (Mardi Gras) which this year falls on Feb 17, especially considering that Italian city centers are generally much better lit than any US cities I've been too (those beautiful historical streets and buildings need to be well visible for the tourists)

This is how the dark alleys in Venice look at night.

If safety is your concern, as I said, your biggest risk is pickpockets in crowded transit or public markets, regardless of how dark or lit is outside. The most important item you need is actually an undergarment money belt or neck pouch to protect your passport and valuables. Nobody will mug you at a gun point in Italy. Those things happen only in American cities.

Agree that a headlamp is unnecessary for city exploration after dark but do be careful to look out for the killer half-step curbs that are ubiquitous on the streets and and sidewalks of a Italian cities — easy to miss in the dark when focusing on the gorgeous architecture, etc.

Greetings! Yes, even I, an inveterate overplanner, concluded that the miner's lamp would be a bit much, hee hee! And thanks for the advice about pickpockets and curbs.

Probably too late to help you, but for others: I found some side streets in Rome not well lit in February-March 2023. It was not a safety issue in the crime sense, but in my 20 days in the city I fell three times on sidewalks--twice at night. Yes, I am a klutz with less than 20/20 vision, and non-commercial side streets can be underlit anywhere. The problem in Rome was the condition of the sidewalks--often not in great condition. With the low lighting, the bad spots were not obvious to me before I tripped.

Thanks for the warning! By the way, one also has to walk carefully in Russian cities for the same reason.