Although the spring is approaching, Milan in March has all attributes of typical winter month. March is still off season period without the crowds and even accommodation prices seem more affordable. March in Milan isn’t to be considered as one of the best months for a visit but there is a lot of festivals and interesting events every March in Milan.
Weather
The March weather in Milan is quite unpredictable. I would say it’s a mixture of cold, foggy or rainy days followed by some chilly sunny days. March is slightly warmer than February in Milan but still quite cold particularly during the night.
Analyzing average daily temperature in March of only 10°C/50°F and the highest temperature in March that can reach 16°C/60°F on warmer days, it’s obvious that spring is still far away.
Rainfall
In this month the number of rainy days is a bit higher than in February and with an average rainfall of 41mm of precipitation, it can not be considered as a rainy month. In percentages there’s a 29% chance of a rainy day. The snowfalls are not to be excluded 100% but in March everything is possible.
Sunshine
If you would like to know more about sunny days in March, I have a good news as sunshine increases in March. According statistics you can expect 5 hours of sunshine per day in Milan during this month, not too much but more than in previous month.
What to Pack
With the warmest temperature around 16°C/60°F what to pack and what to wear in this month, won’t be an easy task. It will be rather cold and also rather wet. Even during some sunny days, not many locals give up their warm layer coat and scarves.
If you still haven’t decided what to pack and what’s trendy for this month in Milan here are some suggestions what locals usually wear in March:
- Dark jeans
- Water.proof walking shoes
- Lightweight but warm shinyjackets (black or dark navy color)
- A scarf
- Cross body bag is very useful (and safe)
- Dark skinny women jeans
- Women light weight short puffy jackets
The colors that dominates in this month are black or navy blue. Don’t pack items of bright colors, like white tennis shoes or high heel shoes.
Events
It doesn’t matter what’s the weather like, I think March is a great time to visit the city. Flipping through the March event calendar, you’ll notice that there are few religious festivals and events every March in Milan.
Carnival
The first one which falls this year in March is Milan Carnival. This festivity which will be held on 9th of March is unique events that differs from any of many Carnivals in Italy like the famous Venetian or Carnival of Viareggio. Above all it takes place on a different date.
While Milan Carnival (Carnevale) isn’t so famous or internationally important as it is in Venice, the Carnival of Milan has a special meaning for locals that participate in large numbers on this event that always happens after Venice Carnival.
Ambrosian Carnival will culminate on the second Saturday of March 9 with a big parade starting from Piazza Duomo. On February in Milan page you can learn more about this Carnival.
Feast of Saint Joseph
This feast (Festa di San Giuseppe) is known as Father’s Day in Italy. Traditionally on this day children are giving gifts to their fathers. This day is also known for consumption of traditional Italian cream filled pastries, called zeppole di San Giuseppe.
While in Italy the Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19, in the rest of the world is celebrated at different dates of the year. In United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The Festa di San Giuseppe is not a national holiday, but it very popular yearly event.
Stramilano Marathon
On March 24th 2019 will be held 48th edition of Italy’s most famous non-competitive running event. This running event consists of three running competitions:
- At 9:00 from Duomo Square starts 10 KM Stramilano marathon (in last edition 2018 participated 60.000 enthusiastic runners)
- At 10:00 from Duomo Square will start the Stramilanina, the 5 km marathon dedicated to children.
- At 10.30 am, from the Castello Sforza Square, will start the Stramilano Half Marathon, with participation of professional Italian and international athletes.
- For more information and registration, visit Stramilano (in English) website.
What to Do
There are many things to do in Milan in March, with the free museum entrance on Sundays being the most popular.
Free Museums
Since 2014 on the first Sundays of the month the places of culture in state management like monuments, museums, galleries, archaeological excavations, parks and gardens in Milan will open their doors free of charge to visitors. See all museums which are included in this initiative! In Milan in March, Museocity.com, non-profit association founded in 2016, organizes free entrance to museums making cultural events accessible to the general public.
The monthly ‘Free Museum’ initiative will be available from 1st to 3rd March 2019. (in March 2018 at its second edition museums were open from from 2 to 4 March)
This is a great opportunity to visit one of 70 museums of art, history, science museums, museum houses, artist’s houses spread throughout the city. Download the free Milan museums map!
International Book Fair
This traditional Milan international book fair will be held in March 2019. This year 2018 in 5 days, over 650 events, more than 900 authors, Fieramilanocity hosts, from March 8th to 12th, the second edition of ‘Tempo di libri’, the International Fair of Publishing.
With its 149 yearsexperience, the Italian Publishers Association protects publishers and helps them grow professionally, promotes the growth of a dynamic, innovative publishing market, and contrasts illegalityand breach of copyright. For the confirmation of the date for 2019 (date to be defined), visit this website.
Day Tours
Of all cities in Italy, Milan is one of the most difficult to become accustomed with. Milan local life can be very attractive but you have the find the best tours to visit the most distinctive parts of the city. I suggest you some of city tours to discover the most popular parts among locals once the sun goes down.
March in Milan can be a good moment to visit some spectacular Italy’s famous lakeside resorts or to take one of the most scenic railway routes in Switzerland.