Arcadia Italy

Pasqua or Easter is one of the biggest holidays on the Italian calendar. Easter in Italy may look somewhat similar to Easter celebrations you’re used to. You will see colorful displays of chocolate eggs and bunnies in the shops. It is a time of religious parades and celebrations, and often the focus is a statue of Jesus or the Virgin Mary that gets carried through the city streets.

Pasqua is also a time when people often get together with family and celebrate. In Easter Sunday, the main meal is the breakfast during which, Italians use to have the equivalent of an American brunch.
Traditional foods include boiled eggs, asparagus, roasted lamb, salted cake with cheese and Corallina (Salame) also called Torta Pasquale, the “Colomba” which is a special sweet bread made in the shape of a dove and of course chocolate Eggs with a special prize inside!

Pasquetta – Easter Monday

There is a common phrase in Italian that says: “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi” (Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want). Despite this saying Easter Sunday is usually spent with family, while Easter Monday, or Pasquetta, is entirely about spending time with friends.
The tradition is to pack a big picnic and go with a big group of friends in one of the parks in Rome or in the surroundings to enjoy the first warmth of spring.

Here are a few hints about parks and itineraries you could do if you are staying in Rome.

Villa Doria Pamphilj is a beautiful public park and the biggest in Rome; it is situated in Monteverde, near Gianicolo area. It was bought by a rich Roman family, the Pamphilj family. There are also two artificial lakes and different kinds of animals and trees. There is a nice cafe/restaurant inside the park. 

Villa Celimontana was created in the XVIth Century. It is situated on the summit of the “Celio” hill and the monumental entrance is in Via della Navicella, near one of the first Christian church, Santa Maria in Damnica. You can find some ruins of the ancient Rome Walls and some beautiful artworks from the Mattei (Mattei Family was a rich Roman Family on the XVIth) collection.

Villa Ada is a big public park of Rome and is located on the northeastern part of the city, on the Salaria Street. You can find a beautiful artificial lake and a lot of trees; there you can rent canoes and bikes. From summer 1994 Villa Ada hosts the world-music festival and the "Roma incontra il mondo" (Rome meets the World) festival, against racism, war and death penalty.

Parco della Caffarella is situated between Aurelian Walls, Latina Street and the Appian Way. It is one of the biggest and oldest parks in Rome. It dates back to the Roman times and still houses a lot of archeological remains. This park is also important as a nature reserve for wildlife, flora, fauna and geological features. In the park also flows a river called Almone, the third river in Rome after the Tiber and the Aniene.

Happy Easter and Enjoy the Pasquetta!