2777° Natale di Roma - Rome’s 2777th Birthday

According to the most famous legend, the city was founded on the Palatine Hill by Romulus in 753 BC, exactly on 21 April. From the 1st century BC the Roman chronology was calculated starting from this date with the phrase “Ab Urbe condita”, that is, “from the foundation of the city”, even though the dies natalis of Rome was officially celebrated for the first time under Emperor Claudius’ reign.

This year, to celebrate together Rome’s 2777th Birthday and the city’s cultural richness, the Capitoline Superintendence has organized four days of events, guided tours and workshops in the civic museums and archaeological sites of Roma Capitale, with a selection of appointments accompanied by Italian Sign Language interpretation.

The event opens with a meeting with the artist Giancarla Frare at the Casino dei Principi di Villa Torlonia on 19 April. Between 20 and 21 April, guided or themed tours are organized at the Museo della Repubblica Romana e memoria garibaldina, the Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco and the Museo dei Mercato di Traiano. At the Museo Carlo Bilotti in Villa Borghese, the Musei Capitolini, the Museo di Zoologia and the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, the event includes visits to current exhibitions, while at the Museo di Roma an in-depth look at the painted facades of the palaces in 16th-century Rome is planned.

An urban itinerary accompanies us through the streets of the Quadraro district to discover the Street Art works inspired by the 17 April 1944 round-up, while in Piazza Vittorio it is possible to access the Porta Magica, an enigmatic monument from the 17th century. Finally, the Villa of Maxentius on the Appia Antica hosts two days of historical re-enactments with the event “Ab urbe condita”. Children activities are at the Casina del Cardinal Bessarione and at the Museo dell’Ara Pacis, with a guided family tour followed by a small workshop.

Extra activities organized in the city for Rome’s 2770th birthday include the reopening of the Roseto Comunale, the rose garden at the foot of the Aventine Hill, and gladiatorial shows and historical re-enactments by the Gruppo Storico Romano. A special light effect occurs only on this day at the Pantheon: at midday, the sun entering from the oculus perfectly illuminates the bronze entrance door.