I am planning a trip to Rome February 27 - March 7 and just realized that it is at the same time as Carnevale. Will this cause much of a problem as far as sightseeing goes? Will things be closed on specific days? General things we want to do: borghese gallery, castel San Angelo, domus aurea, capuchin crypts, various churches to see Bernini and Caravaggio. A fellow traveler wants to do gladiator school and his wife wants a golf cart tour. It will be our 2nd time in Rome, so we have already done Vatican museums and colosseum. We are also planning a couple day trips (maybe), one to Florence and one to Orvieto. Are there good/bad days to do this? I’m assuming there will be celebrations in Florence and Orvieto as well. I am at the part of planning where we are deciding what to do on each day, so any advice on this topic would help!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11302 posts
Huh. I lived in Rome for 5 years and never realized Carnevale was a thing there. So no, I don't think there are closings to worry about. You can check each site's closing times and days on the relevant website. Domus Aurea has only been open on weekends.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15800 posts
No attractions will be closed for Carnevale other than days of normal closures. A very quick glance at what it entails in Rome:
https://www.tourist-in-rom.com/en/carnival-in-rome-2019/
Do order tickets in advance for the Domus Aurea (available weekends only) and Galleria Borghese. Also the Colosseum, if that's on your list.
One mention: you will be in Rome over a first Sunday of the month, which has typically been a free day for the National museums and so NOT a day you want to try to visit the Colosseum!!! Tours and ticket reservations for the arena are also not possible for those days. That may not be the case this year but info is sketchy. This notice states that "Admission will remain free on the first Sunday of each month from October to March." so it's possible March 3rd won't be a free day. A fee-free week in March is also mentioned but no dates were given.
https://www.facebook.com/albertobonisoliM5S/photos/a.165752460728796/264706647500043/?type=3&theater
Even if the Borghese is still free on March 3rd, prior reservations are mandatory.
Editing to add: Laurel has firsthand experience with Rome over this pre-Lent period so trust what she tells ya. :O)
Posted by
OP
58 posts
Thanks so much for the info! Looks like there will be a parade on Saturday and some kind of party on that Tuesday, but if someone living in Rome has never noticed it, then I doubt it will affect us. We were planning one of our day trips for the “free” Sunday to avoid the crowds - the first time we were there we thought it would be good, but the line was so long to castel San Angelo that we ended up skipping it. Lesson learned!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15579 posts
There's a parade, maybe the last Sunday of Carnevale?, along via Nazionale in the morning, which disrupts bus routes. The year I was there, there was also an early afternoon parade along via dei Fori Imperiali. I don't know where it started but it ended at/near the Colosseum. There were singers, dancers and musicians from most of the Central and South American countries, very colorful and tuneful.
The best day for Orvieto is a sunny one, to enjoy the remarkable facade of the duomo.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15800 posts
It will be our 2nd time in Rome, so we have already done Vatican
museums and colosseum.
Sincere apologies for previously mentioning the need for Colosseum tickets. I somehow skipped over the fact that this is not your first rodeo in Rome! That's a big plus as you'll already have a handle on how the city is laid out, getting around and whatnot; you can hit the ground running! :O)