Natale di Roma

Natale di Roma is a special festival that happens every year in Rome on April 21. It celebrates the legendary founding of the city. According to legend, Romulus is said to have started the city of Rome on that same day in 753 BC.

The Romans used a special way to count years, called Ab urbe condita, which means 'from the founding of the City'. They started counting from the day Rome was thought to be founded. But the main way Romans knew what year it was was by the names of the two consuls who were in charge that year.

Celebrations of the festival in the age of Rome

The celebration of Rome's birthday became very important for emperors to show the city's history and their own power. Starting with Emperor Claudius, the way people counted Rome's age was set by Marcus Terentius Varro. Claudius first celebrated Rome's birthday in 47, which was 800 years after the city was thought to be founded. Later, Antoninus Pius did the same in 147–148, and Philip the Arab celebrated when Rome turned one thousand years old in 248, along with special games called the Ludi Saeculares. Some coins from that time still exist today.

As the Roman Empire turned to the Christian faith, the date of April 21, Rome's birthday, also became linked to the feast day of Saint Caesarius of Terracina. This helped emperors connect their rule to both Rome's long history and its Christian traditions.

The festival after the fall of the Western Roman Empire

After the spread of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire, many old Roman customs and festivals disappeared. However, during the Renaissance, a group of scholars called the Roman Academy started celebrating the birthday of Rome again on April 21. They honored ancient Roman traditions and even held special ceremonies.

During a time called the Risorgimento, when Italy was working toward unity, people again began celebrating Natale di Roma. In 1849, when Rome was a free republic, revolutionaries held meals and speeches to honor Rome's founding and their own fight for freedom.

In 1921, the leader of the Fascist movement, Benito Mussolini, made Natale di Roma an official holiday. It became a national holiday starting in 1924, called "Natale di Roma - Labor Day." After World War II, the holiday was changed back, and Labor Day returned to May 1.

In modern times, Italy celebrates Natale di Roma with conferences and historical reenactments. Groups like the "Gruppo Storico Romano" organize parades with people dressed in ancient clothes and show scenes from old Roman life. In 2024, the 2777th Natale di Roma was celebrated with special events and plans to support these traditions. People from all over Europe also join in to honor this important date.