Auguri, Roma! Today is the 2777th anniversary of the legendary founding of Rome - April 21, 753 BC. Pushing towards its fourth millennia, the natale di Roma is a big deal for the Eternal City, heck, it’s a big deal for us! Every year, reenactment group Gruppo Storico Romano and legions from all over Europe come to the Circus Maximus to be part of an amazing, hours-long procession around the historic center.
Emperors, senators, patricians, centurions, legionaries, lictors, barbarians, gladiators, vestal virgins, and more march through the city center from via dei Petroselli to Piazza Venezia and Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Colosseum. Rome fans from all over line up the streets. I like of to think of it as an epic Mummers parade, with an awesome ancient Rome spin.
AMOR ROMA
Panem et circenses, pomp and circumstance, partying and fighting, we love ancient Rome. My kids say we’re certified nerds because we finally lived out our Roman fantasy by joining our friends Alex (the gladio-hunk below) and Gruppo Storico Romano in 2023 in a cohort led by yours truly.
Today, we’ve opted to be press, photographing the parade as it winds around the city. To be honest, I don’t think it will be quite as cinematically gorgeous as year past because currently Piazza Venezia and Via dei Fori Imperiali are part of active construction.
With that in mind, enjoy some flashbacks in Roman regalia. And if you have a moment, let me know what you think about Ciao Bella’s new newsletter format!
- Erica
