Last updated: April 2023

Each year, on April 21st, the city of Rome celebrates its birthday. As part of this festivity, various exhibitions, reenactments, and other educational events take place throughout the city's historic center. Having always considered Rome my home away from home, I had long wished to visit the Eternal City on its birthday. Finally, in 2022, the opportunity arose! Let me dive into the details and share my experience with you.

In 2022, Rome commemorated its 2,775th anniversary. Despite enduring numerous invasions, wars, and natural disasters, the city has persevered and thrived over the centuries. The city's resilience may explain why various writers and poets, like Virgil in his epic poem "Aeneid," have referred to Rome as the Eternal City. Each historical era has left its mark on the city, and every corner holds a story to tell. It makes Rome one of the most inspiring places I know, drawing me back time and again.

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The birth of the Eternal City

The birthday of Rome, known as Natale di Roma, is the perfect opportunity to first tell you more about the city's foundation. In fact, Roman mythology offers several stories about this event. I'll share one of the best-known.

According to this legend, the Trojan hero Aeneas and his son Ascanius fled from the city of Troy after its destruction by the Greeks. They settled in the region of present-day Lazio and each founded their own city. Aeneas established the town of Latinus, named after his wife Lavinia, while Ascanius founded Alba Longa.

Alba Longa's leadership was passed down from one generation to the next, and about 400 years after Ascanius, King Numitor took the throne. Numitor's time as king was short-lived, as his younger brother Amulius coveted the throne of Alba for himself. Amulius eventually overthrew Numitor and took extreme measures to ensure that Numitor's lineage would end. He killed Numitor's sons and captured Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia. Amulius then forced her to become a Vestal Virgin, forbidding her from marrying.

For centuries, the image of the she-wolf nursing the twins has stood as one of Rome's most iconic and recognizable symbols. Even today, the symbol can be found all over the city, adorning everything from public monuments to trash cans. The Museii Capitolini houses a remarkable bronze sculpture known as the Capitoline Wolf, depicting this iconic scene from Rome's founding myth. Most scholars believe the sculpture to be of Etruscan origin dating back to the 5th century BC, with the twins added in the late 15th century.

However, as often happens in (Roman) mythology, history took a different turn. One day, the god Mars saw Rhea Silvia walking in the gardens of the Vestals' palace and fell in love with her. From his love, Rhea Silvia conceived twin brothers: Romulus and Remus.

When Amulius found out, he commanded his soldiers to drown the boys in the Tiber River. Yet fate intervened once more. The twins were placed in a basket and set adrift on the river. However, due to the recent flooding of the Tiber and the subsequent receding water, the basket soon drifted ashore near the Palatine Hill. There, a she-wolf discovered the boys, carried them to her cave, and fed them.

At some point, a passing shepherd named Faustulus heard the babies and discovered Romulus and Remus. He then took them home to his wife, Acca Larentia. Since they had no children of their own, they decided to raise the twins as their sons.

As part of Rome's birthday celebrations, several historical reenactments take place at Circus Maximus. One of them, of course, recounts the tale of Remus and Romulus. The photo above shows Faustulus after his discovery of the baby twins and his decision to bring them home to his wife, Acca Larentia.

Upon reaching adulthood, Romulus and Remus discovered their past and Amulius' wrongdoing. With their grandfather Numitor still alive, they chose to join forces with him. Together, they launched a surprise attack, which resulted in Amulius's death and Numitor's reinstatement as the king of Alba Longa.

The twins set out to build a city of their own, but where? Romulus proposed the Palatine Hill, while Remus preferred the Aventine Hill. Unable to reach a consensus, they resolved the dispute through an augury - a ritual involving the interpretation of bird flight patterns to determine the will of the gods.

Romulus and Remus established their camps on their chosen hills and awaited a sign. Remus spotted birds first, observing six flying over his head. Subsequently, Romulus witnessed twelve birds flying over his newfound settlement. Interpreting this as a sign of the gods, Romulus began to mark out the future city's walls by plowing a square furrow around the Palatine Hill. Shortly after, Remus mockingly leaped over the "walls," provoking Romulus to kill his brother in a burst of anger.

The Roman historian Titus Livius, or Livy, marked April 21st, 753 BC, as the official date for Remus' death and the founding of Rome by Romulus.

During the festivities, various historical reenactments are staged at Circus Maximus. And, of course, one of the performances features the story of Remus and Romulus.

Natale di Roma

The Roman historian Titus Livius, or Livy, marked April 21st, 753 BC, as the official date for Remus' death and the founding of Rome by Romulus. So, now you know why Rome celebrates its birthday every year on this date.

The birthday festivities kick off several days in advance and are largely organized by the Gruppo Storico Romano, a historical reenactment group. If you are in town, make sure to explore their Roman encampment at Circus Maximus. Here, the group hosts gladiatorial fights, workshops, school activities, and more, offering an intriguing insight into ancient Roman life.

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The celebrations extend beyond Circus Maximus. On the first evening, there's a reenactment of the "Renewal of the Sacred Fire" at Piazza Campo Marzio. In Ancient Rome, the Sacred Fire of Vesta was an everlasting flame tended to by the Vestal Virgins. The fire was renewed annually on the kalendae of March (1st day of March). Allowing the sacred fire to extinguish on any other date was a grave neglect of duty, indicating that the goddess had withdrawn her protection from the city. Vestals found guilty of this offense faced severe punishment.

After the "Renewal of the Sacred Fire," the "Benedictio Vrbi" takes place, during which Emperor Hadrian blesses the city of Rome in front of the Pantheon.

Renewal of the Sacred Fire, Natale di Roma

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For me, the most memorable part of the Natale di Roma festivities was the Historical Parade. Over 1,500 participants, adorned as sentries, gladiators, and vestal virgins, march from Circus Maximus to Teatro di Marcello, Via dei Fori Imperiali, and the Colosseum. It's an event you don't want to overlook!

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Dies Natalis at the Pantheon

But wait, there's more! The celebrations of Rome's birthday extend beyond reenactments and the Historical Parade. Another almost magical phenomenon unfolds at the Pantheon, which occurs only on April 21st. But before delving into it, let's briefly explore the Pantheon itself.

The Pantheon is renowned for its iconic dome, which remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome to this day. At the apex of the dome sits the oculus, a large circular opening measuring approximately 8.2 meters in diameter. The oculus serves multiple functions, which I'll elaborate on in a separate post about the Pantheon. For now, I'll concentrate on its role as the sole source of natural light and its potential astronomical alignment.

Throughout the day, sunlight enters through the oculus, casting a luminous disk onto the interior of the Pantheon, starkly contrasting with the surrounding darkness. But what if I told you there's a deeper meaning behind this dramatic effect?

Throughout the day, a beam of sunlight penetrates the oculus, casting a disk of light on the Pantheon's interior. The sharp contrast with the surrounding darkness creates a beautiful and dramatic effect. But what if I told you there's a deeper significance to it?

Various scholars suggest that the Pantheon was intentionally designed to function as a type of calendar throughout the year. Why? One explanation is that the luminous disk seems to illuminate the main entrance on important occasions, such as during astronomical events like the Equinoxes or religious celebrations. I discuss this further in my Pantheon post.

As you may have guessed, Rome's birthday is also one of these important occasions. Every April 21st, precisely at noon, the sunlight perfectly illuminates the Pantheon's entrance. It's said that in ancient Roman times, the emperor would stand before the temple, surrounded by the intense golden sunlight streaming through the entrance. This scene is sometimes cited as one of history's earliest special effects. How remarkable that even now, nearly 2,000 years later, you can experience this same phenomenon?!