Tanti Auguri! April 21st is Rome’s birthday!
In 2022, Rome is celebrating its 2,775th birthday – or the Natale di Roma in Italian.
Rome’s birthday is recognized as the day when Romulus founded the city in the year 753 BC.
So if you’ve been giving Rome some grief for not being 100% perfect, maybe consider cutting it some slack. The city is OLD.
Rome’s birthday is also not some modern guesswork. The Ancient Romans were absolutely convinced that Rome was founded on April 21st, 753 B.C. The day was also important in the Roman calendar because it was dedicated to Pales, goddess of the shepherds.
So how does one celebrate the natale di Roma?
On April 21st, all the city museums are free- so that is a good place to start. That means even the Colosseum waives the entrance fee! (But these days you need to book ahead so it is impossible to wander by and pop in if you did not reserve online).
But the big show is on the weekend, when a massive parade (complete with gladiators) will kick off at Circo Massimo, march past the Colosseum, and up Via dei Fori Imperiali, past the Vittoriano, before looping down towards where it all began at Circo Massimo.
To plan your weekend, and more about all the specific festivities taking place in honor of Rome’s birthday, be sure to check Natale di Roma. The parade is canceled for 2021, unfortunately, because of the lockdown. Poor Rome will have a quiet birthday.
And P.S. since we are talking about celebrations – please remember that April 25th is also a national holiday (Liberation Day) when businesses are normally closed.
Buon compleanno, Roma.
Long live the Eternal City.
Auguri Roma 🙂
<3 tanti auguri!
Buon 2.771simo compleanno, Roma!!!