Walking home yesterday, I had to shirk off my coat and undo my scarf. Spring! For real!
I love April… mainly because my birthday is smack dab in the middle and I take full license to be even bossier about everything than normal.
But April is a big month for Rome too. In fact, Rome and I basically have the same birthday, so there are a ton of events happening to commemorate the Eternal City’s 2,769th big day.
Warmer weather also brings marathoners (bleh, health) and food festivals (more my style).
Here is what is on in Rome in April:
Every weekend (2-3; 9-10; 16-17; 23-24; 30 April): Mercato Monti is open every weekend this month, which means plenty of shopping indie and local designers in trendy Rione Monti.
1 April: Re-opening of Rimessa Roscioli, a fantastic place for a wine tasting. The location is moving to Piazza di Montevecchio 17, and you can come toast the inauguration with a free glass of champagne between 6:30 – 8 pm.
3 April: The first Sunday of the month means #domenicalmuseo with free entrance to many of Rome’s museums and cultural sites, including the Colosseum. A full list of free openings is here in Italian.
7-10 April: The Irish Film Festival will be screening films and hosting talks with the directors all weekend at Casa del Cinema. A full program is here.
8-10 April: I am dying to hit up the Artichoke Festival in Ladispoli (35 km northwest of Rome).
8-10 April: The Città dell’altra Economia is hosting a Di Strada Festival – dedicated to all things ‘di strada’: street food, street art, music.
9-10 April: Libetta Village (Via Libetta 1 / 3 / 5) in Garbatella is hosting a tiramisù festival from 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The €10 entrance fee scores you three different tastes from a selection of tiramisù flavors.
10 April: Fitness lovers will be looping around the Colosseum to participate in the Rome marathon, and I will be cheering them on between scoops of gelato.
13 April: The MAXXI will host a discussion with artist William Kentridge. Tickets are €5, and more information on the talk can be found on the museum’s website.
21 April: Opening of Rome’s Rose Garden! The lovely garden next to Circo Massimo is open from 21 April to 14 June only, everyday from 8.30 am-7.30 pm. It is officially the perfect place for a springtime stroll.
21 April: The official opening of Triumphs and Laments – a street art installation by South African William Kentridge. The images have been stenciled and power washed onto the walls of the Tiber.
21 April: Rome’s 2,769th birthday! Free entrance to the colosseum again!
21-24 April: To celebrate the founding of Rome, the city is hosting Natale di Roma, which will be a weekend of lectures and reenactments at Circo Massimo.
25 April: Military marches and tricolore flags will be out for Liberation day – which marks the end of the Italian civil war and the Nazi occupation of Italy and is a public holiday.