Some areas of the Eternal City were covered in five centimetres of snow, in the first snowfall that Rome has seen in six years.
Locals lapped up the rare opportuniy to ski, sled and build snowmen in the capital’s famous parks and piazzas.
Schools were ordered closed as a precautionary measure, and the city council encouraged residents to avoid any unnecessary travel.
Areas were set aside overnight at several Rome metro stations to host the homeless and avert the risk of people freezing to death.
The Italian civil protection agency called in the army to help clear Rome’s streets following the heavy snowfall.
Residents of Rome’s zoo enjoyed warm temperatures in their enclosures, despite bitter weather in the surrounding city.
Some animals - including Japanese macaque monkeys, Bactrian camels, bears and wolves - even welcomed the rare snow and had fun frolicking in it.
The bitter weather – which is the result of cold winds from Siberia sweeping across Europe – is expected to last into the first week of March.
With ANSA
