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Rome Gets Rare Snowfall, And It's An Ancient Winter Wonderland

Rome was greeted on Monday morning by its first snowfall in six years.

Rome was greeted on Monday morning by its first snowfall in six years.

The white stuff didn't stop a few hardy souls from visiting the Colosseum.
Antonio Masiello via Getty Images
The white stuff didn't stop a few hardy souls from visiting the Colosseum.

With 1.2 to 1.6 inches on the ground, the mayor of the Italian capital, Virginia Raggi, ordered public schools closed and many private schools followed suit. Authorities opened several train stations as emergency shelters for the homeless.

The uncharacteristic weather for the city stems from a massive cold front moving over Europe, dubbed by much of British media as β€œThe Beast From the East.” The chilly temperatures span from the U.K. to Moscow, and nearly five feet of snow has fallen in areas of Croatia.

A car carrying Swedish Prime Minister Stefan LΓΆfven skidded into a guardrail north of Stockholm during a blizzard, but no one was hurt.

The cold snap is expected to continue for the next few days, peaking on Thursday, U.K. Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell told CNN.

The wintery scenes in Rome have made for gorgeous pictures in photos and videos that have been cropping up all over, with the city’s most scenic and historical locales ― the Colosseum, the Vatican, etc. ― often serving as the backdrop.

Two canines get acquainted in front of Rome's Arch of Constantine.
Antonio Masiello via Getty Images
Two canines get acquainted in front of Rome's Arch of Constantine.

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