7 Reasons to Visit Rome This Spring
Let’s get one thing out of the way, there is no wrong time of the year to visit Italy or Rome. But there is something special about seeing Rome wake up from its hibernation and blossom in front of your eyes. The eternal city is beautiful this time of year, so we put together a list of seven reasons why you should visit Rome in spring.
Table of Contents:
1. WARM SPRING WEATHER IN ROME
This is not a new discovery, of course, the weather gets warmer and the days longer. The warm spring weather in Rome starts in the second half of March. Although warm days sometimes come sooner than that. Roman spring temperatures are very pleasant, with average day temperature being around 20°C. Spring in Rome is quite sunny and warm, with an occasional rainy day.
WHAT TO WEAR IN ROME DURING THE SPRING?
If you are visiting Rome in March or April be sure to bring light to medium jacket. The weather is still transitioning from winter to spring, and because of that early mornings and evenings can be a bit chilly. Don’t forget to pack an umbrella when traveling to Rome in the spring. Although the days are mostly sunny, rain is not an unusual occurrence during this time of year. An important piece of advice on what to wear in Rome in Spring is to dress in layers. That way you will be well prepared for the changing spring weather in Rome.
2. OFF-SEASON ADVANTAGES IN ROME
Spring is the perfect time to visit Rome if you want to avoid big crowds, with the exception being the Easter week. Spring in Rome offers you all the benefits of winter’s off-season period plus the nice, warm weather that is perfect for sightseeing usually crowded monuments such as Colosseum, Sistine Chapel or Vatican City. If you decide on visiting Rome in spring with the intention of saving a bit of money, and take advantage of the preseason, we advise you to try and avoid the Easter week.
3. STRESS-FREE SIGHTSEEING
When it comes to the benefits of the preseason, we must not forget the biggest one – smaller crowds! Roaming around Rome and looking at the historic monuments and charming city streets often gets stressful during the peak season. But if you decide to visit Rome in spring you can take a Rome Colosseum tour or buy the Colosseum tickets and explore at your own place, and enjoy sightseeing without stress caused by large crowds of tourists as it tends to be in the summer months. Sights like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Borghese Gallery, the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel are open, and something you, for sure, don’t want to miss during your visit to Rome.
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4. FRESH AND SEASONAL ROMAN FOOD
Warmer weather offers us a wider variety of freshly grown foods, which would be a shame not to taste while in Rome. Italian cuisine is known for its excellent taste and use of a variety of local produce. There is a lot of roman food you should try all year round, but when it comes to spring time in Rome there are a couple of seasonal specialties. As on any roman food list, artichokes are on this one as well. Artichoke season in Italy lasts until May, so you will have plenty of time to taste them.
We recommend you try carciofi romanesco, artichokes prepared in the Roman way. The flavourful vegetable stew called vignarola is a staple in the roman spring cousine. Vignarola combines artichokes, peas, lettuce and broad beans. Fava or Broad beans are one of the main spring foods in Rome, you can find piles of it on roman green markets for a very cheap price. Staying on theme with the green springtime vegetables, another one you should try is asparagus. You can try out asparagus in a thousand different ways – grilled, cooked, baked, as a side dish, in a creamy pasta dish, in risottos … the sky’s the limit.
… DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE DESSERT
If you have a sweet tooth Rome will not disappoint you. Spring in Rome offers you a traditional dessert called Colomba. Colomba is a type of sweet bread made around Easter in Rome. It is similar to the Christmas dessert Panettone, but it is made in the shape of a dove or the cross. Colomba is usually topped with almonds and pearled sugar.
5. COLORFUL SURROUNDING
Rome gets extremely beautiful in the spring. All the streets get colored by the blossoming trees and flowers, and the city’s gardens are resurfacing. If you find yourself visiting Rome in between April and June be sure not to miss out on visiting the rose garden on the Aventine Hill – Roseto Comunale. You should also visit Villa Pamphili or Villa Borghese for a picnic amongst the flowers. If you decide to go on a picnic around the Villa, we recommend buying Galleria Borghese tickets online and visiting the wonderful collection of art. If you simply want to observe the city come to life during warm weather, you can take a seat on the Spanish steps, which are adorned with blooming azaleas.
6. ENJOY ROMAN SPRING CELEBRATIONS
Spring is the time of year when everything is waking up, and so the Romans have a lot of celebrations throughout this period.
EASTER IN ROME
Easter is the biggest Roman Catholic holiday, so it’s no surprise that the biggest Easter celebration is happening right in Rome. The entirety of the Easter week is commemorated by the traditional ceremonies and celebrations. If you are visiting Rome around Easter it’s important to know that you can obtain tickets in advance for the religious events. The tickets are free, but the process of obtaining them is a little bit complicated. The tickets are usually sold out a year before the event is taking place. On the Vatican website you can find the dates of Papal audiences and Easter celebrations. By following the link at the bottom of the Vatican’s page, you can find the link for the ticket application.
PRIMO MAGGIO
Labor Day is celebrated in Italy on the 1st of May. Traditionally Italians spend this day off of work and are surrounded by their friends and family. It is a custom to spend the day in nature having a picnic or a barbecue, as well as playing outdoor games. If you happen to find yourself in Rome on Primo Maggio, grab a blanket, prepare some tasty food and head out to a beautiful blooming park.
BIRTH OF ROME
Rome will celebrate its 2 773rd birthday on April 21st 2020. The celebration is commemorated with the Grand parade, which takes place along Via dei Fiori Imperiali. The celebration is organised by the historical dramatic society of Rome – Gruppo Storico Romano. They are bringing history back to life by recreating ancient battles and historic events. There are more than 1 500 costumed participants on the grand parade each year dancing and celebrating Rome’s birthday on the streets of the city’s centre.
7. DAY TRIPS FROM ROME
Spring is the perfect time of year to take a day trip while on your vacation in Rome. There are many beautiful and interesting places only an hour or two away from Rome. If you decide to stay close to Rome you can opt out for an Olive oil tasting or you can visit one of the villas surrounding Rome. But if you don’t mind traveling for over one hour you can visit Naples or Florence. One thing is for sure, whichever day trip you decide on you will not make a mistake. Italy is breathtaking and exploring it while it wakes up and blossoms is a guaranteed great experience.
More of Rome…
If you liked our post, and you found it useful, check out some of our other posts. After a long day of sight seeing you will for sure be hungry, so there is no harm in checking our Best Roman Foods Guide.
Are you going to visit Rome this spring?
Have a look at our guide for the best Colosseum Visiting Tips!
