Photos: Rare snowfall blankets locked-down Milan

Milan woke up to a thick blanket of snow on Monday, thrilling children but disrupting anyone trying to get back to work after the strict Christmas lockdown.

Around 20 centimetres of snow fell in the city, where a 76-year-old homeless man died in hospital after being found in the street.

Falling trees disrupted traffic, with local authorities deploying dozens of snowploughs to clear main thoroughfares.

Masked city workers were out at dawn shovelling about 15 cm of snow off the central Piazza Duomo, as the sparse morning traffic struggled on slippery roads.

The storms caused tailbacks on several motorways, notably the A26 bound for Italy's largest commercial port of Genoa, capital of the Liguria region.

Several trains were disrupted with falling trees causing delays of up to two hours.

The Great St Bernard Tunnel on the border with Switzerland was closed to heavy goods vehicles.

Several trees and marquees outside bars collapsed under the weight, a rare sight in a city that typically gets just a dusting of snow in the coldest of years.

The city's transport chief Marco Granelli said the priority for the authorities was removing fallen trees and clearing the entrances to hospitals, health facilities and coronavirus-testing points.

Heavy snow was widespread over much of northern Italy, causing train cancellations and the closure of mountain roads in the Veneto region.

The lockdown that kept Italians largely in their homes from December 24-27 was eased on Monday, allowing people to move around freely within their towns even while most services remain shut or severely limited.

A woman jogs in a park despite the snow in the center of Milan.

A man walks on a snow covered road during a snowfall, in Milan.

A picture shows a snow covered park during a snowfall in Milan.

People walk their dog along a snow covered sidewalk during a snowfall, in Milan.

A girl slides downhill over snow in Cernusco sul Naviglio, near Milan.

People walk their dogs in a park covered with snow in the center of Milan.

A man walks along a snow covered street during a snowfall, in Milan.

People cross a snow covered railroad track in Porta Venezia during a snowfall, in Milan.

Foto LaPresse - Claudio Furlan 28/12/2020 - Milano (Italia) Neve a Milano Photo LaPresse - Claudio Furlan December 28, 2020 - Milan(Italy) Snow in Milan