Festa della Repubblica | Italian Republic Day

Festa della Repubblica – The Celebration of Republic Day in Italy:

Flag of Italy

Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) is the celebration of the founding of the Republic of Italy. On June 2nd each year, Italians all over the world commemorate the 1946 referendum in which the citizens voted for Italy to become a republic.

June 2nd is a national holiday in Italy with the major commemorative events taking place in Rome. Visitors to the Eternal City can look forward to enjoying the festivities and events during the June 2nd long weekend. Note: Being a national holiday, some services may not be available.

Festa della Repubblica Events 2019

Republic Day commemorations begin at 09:15 with the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is followed by the traditional and highly evocative military parade which marches down Via dei Fori Imperiali to Piazza Venezia. The President of Italy (Sergio Mattarella), being the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, presides over this military parade. This has been a tradition since the first parade in 1948.

Frecce Tricolori

Keep your camera poised for the Tricolor Arrows flyover.

In the afternoon, the gardens of the Palazzo del Quirinale (the seat of the President), will be open the public (free entry), with concerts and music performances by the bands of the Italian Army, Navy, Air Force, he Carabinieri, State Police, Guardia di Finanza, Polizia Penitenziaria (Penitentiary Police) and Corpo Forestale dello Stato (State Forestry Department). This is very popular with the locals.

Azaleas at the Spanish Steps

At the Spanish Steps, the azaleas make their annual appearance. With 700 plants on the Trinità dei Monti and adjacent streets it’s no wonder the Trinità dei Monti has gained the reputation of the ‘most beautiful staircase in the world’.

Festa della Repubblica also kicks off the summer festivals and all around Rome there are jazz festivals, operas, music concerts, art festivals and much, much more.