- Maratona Gay/Lesbian Festival
(May). Need to contact organizers for dates and place annually: Circolo Mario
Mieli di Cultura Omosessuale, or go to bars such as the Hangar (Via
in Selci, 69) or, for lesbians, try Panico (Via di Panico, 13). You can also try the
most famous gay club in Rome, Alibi, at Via di Monte Testaccio, 44.
- Flower Festival (June,
the Sunday after Corpus Domini), Genzano, Castelli Romani, south of Rome.
Streets are carpeted with flowers.
- Festa di San Giovanni (June
23-24), Piazza di Porta San Giovanni. Celebrated with meals of snails in tomato sauce,
suckling pig, a fair, and fireworks display.
- RomaEuropa (late
June-late July), mainly in Villa Medici. Films, dance, theater, and concerts.
- Festa di San Pietro (June
29), many churches. Celebrations mark the feast of St. Peter.
- Expo Tevere (end
June-mid-July), along the Tiber. Arts and crafts, food and wine, music and fireworks.
- Festa de Noantri (last
two weeks in July), the streets of Trastevere. Feating, processions and
entertainment.
- Arts Outdoors (July/August),
Baths of Caracalla, Villa Ada, Ostia Antica, by the Tiber, in parks. Opera, concerts,
drama, and film.
- Festa della Madonna della
Neve (August 5), Santa Maria Maggiore. Legendary 4th century fall of snow
re-enacted with showers of white flower petals.
- Ferragosto (August 15), Santa
Maria in Trastevere. Midsummer Roman holiday. Almost everything closes down.
Celebrations are held for the Feast of the Assumption.
- Art Fair (September), Via
Margutta.
- Sagra dell'Uva (early
September), Basilica of Constantine. Harvest festival with grapes selling at bargain
prices and lots of folksy street entertainment.
- Crafts Fair (last week
September/first week October), Via dell'Orso, near Piazza Navona.
- Antiques Fair (mid-October),
Via dei Coronari.
- Festa di Santa Cecilia (November
22), Santa Cecilia in Trastevere and Catacombs of San Callisto.
- Vino Novello Tasting
(late November), Campo de' Fiori.
- Festa della Madonna
Immacolata (December 8), Piazza di Spagna. Firemen climb up a ladder to
place a wreath on the statue of the Virgin Mary. Column in front of McDonald's.
- Befana (mid-December-mid-January),
Piazza Navona. Christmas and children's market.
- Nativity Scenes (mid-December-mid-January),
many churches. Life-sized scene in St. Peter's Square, collection at
Santi Cosma e Damiano. Also check out the International Museum of the Christmas Cribs
near the Trojan Marketplace ruins. It is amazing!
- Midnight Mass (December
24), at most churches.
- Christmas Day (Decmeber
25), St. Peter's Square. Blessing by the pope.
- New Year's Eve (December
31), all over Rome. Fireworks displays, furniture thrown out.
- For infomation : ilsogno@romeguide.it
