What’s on in Rome this month?

International sports competitions, archaeological sites, temporary exhibitions and Carnival food. There’s so much to do in Rome this February 2023!

Without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive into these super exciting things to explore in the city! 🤩

Things to do in Rome in February 2023

Guinness Six Nations Rugby 2023 in Rome

From February 4th to March 18th there will be the Six Nations championship for 2023, where we’ll see Italy, England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales playing for the trophy! Some of the matches will take place in Rome and we thought you didn’t want to miss this really cool thing to do in Rome this February!

The matches that will take place in Rome are:

February 5th: Italy-France

February 25th: Italy – Ireland

March 11th: Italy – Wales

More info: https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/

The Secret Rooms of the Pantheon [extended until February 5th]

From September 24th until February 5th 2022 you will be able to visit the an exclusive area of the Pantheon, for the first time after so long open to visitors! How mind blowing is that!

This is thanks to an ongoing exhibition taking place in this exclusive area, which is called “Drawing on History. Stirling, Wilford and Associates 1980-2000“. This exhibit shows the daily activities of one of the most influential architecture workshops on the 20th century. To mention some of their projects: Leicester, Cambridge and Oxford.

Not only a very interesting exhibit, but also an incredible opportunity to visit this unexplored area of the Pantheon!

To visit you must book in advance one of the free guided tours which take place on Thursday at 10AM and 4PM, Saturday at 10AM, Sunday at 4PM. To book write an email to dms-rm.pantheon@cultura.gov.it or call +39 06 68300230.

(Please consider that at the time of writing this the guided tours take place in Italian only. In the email ask for an English tour in case there has been an update that we are not aware of)

Are you looking to make your Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Check our private and semi-private experiences here

Valentine’s Day – February 14th

Rome is one of the most romantic cities in the world, but on February 14th things can go to the next level! Don’t just look for panoramic terraces and a bunch of roses. In Rome you can take your loved one in front of Saint Valentine in person (or at least, what’s left of him).

Go to the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Here you’ll find the most famous Mouth of Truth, an ancient and legendary lie-detector (remember Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holidays?). But don’t stop here, walk inside and go to the left nave. Here you’ll find the skull of Saint Valentine!

The biography and identity of this saint is still being debated, and you might hear that the real Saint Valentine skull is actually in Dublin or somewhere else. But the truth is, the experience will still be very romantic 😊

Food to try – the traditional recipes of the Roman Carnival

The Carnival in Rome, since ancient times, consisted in some days of pranks, of forgotten rules, masked people and unbridled joy before the begin of the Lent and the forty days of penitence leading to Easter.

Nowadays not much is left of that tradition, but for centuries the Roman Carnival has been a wild celebration including also the most famous races in via del Corso (“corsa” means “run”, “race”).

At some point these parties went a bit too wild and the king of Italy decided to stop the tradition.

Today during these days you might come across masked people, confetti and streamers in the streets.

But one Carnival tradition that remained is the food one. This time of the year in bakeries and pastry shops (pasticceria) you will find lots of Carnival sweets, not available during the rest the year. And that you must try!

One of them is the frappe. A crumbly and thing sweet sheet, sparkled with icing sugar.

The Colors of the Romans – exhibition at Centrale Montemartini

This exhibition is absolutely incredible! We have to admit, we didn’t rush to go visit it, because we didn’t realize how incredible it was. When we saw it, we wondered why we have waited so long!

Without considering the beauty of this museum in itself (an old powerhouse with its black machines contrasting with the white marbles statues of ancient Rome: stunning!), you will be in total awe when your eye will discover the triumph of colors that the Romans put together in their mosaics between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD. It is unbelievable to imagine these mosaics were decorating houses where (wealthy) people conducted their everyday life.

Absolutely unmissable exhibition, which will run until March 12th in the Centrale Montemartini.

More info here: https://www.centralemontemartini.org/en/mostra-evento/colori-dei-romani-i-mosaici-dalle-collezioni-capitoline

When Rome was a Republic – exhibition at the Musei Capitolini

This exhibit at the Capitoline Museums tries to give an overview about the transformation of the Roman society across 5 centuries, from the beginning of the Republic to the birth of the Empire. In case you didn’t know the Roman legacy started first as a monarchy, then it became a Republic, to the become an empire. This exhibit focuses on the Republican period, to give you an idea, the times of Cicero, Caesar and so on..

Majority of the artifacts which you can see in this exhibition are usually not visible to the public, because they are usually kept in the deposits (did you know that the deposits are sometimes more crowded of artifacts than the museums themselves?!).

This exhibit started on January 13th and will last until September 24th. More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1012211

This exhibition can be perfectly combined with the “Wonders of the Capitoline hill” itinerary included in our Video Guide.

Van Gogh exhibition in Palazzo Bonaparte

From October 8th 2022 until March 23rd 2023, Palazzo Bonaparte will host an exhibition dedicated to Van Gogh and his works.

The exhibition will include 50 Van Gogh artworks, including Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, as well as documentation of Van Gogh biography.  

The exhibition will take place in Palazzo Bonaparte, which used to be the residence of Napoleon’s mother in Rome.

Website: https://www.mostrepalazzobonaparte.it/mostra-van-gogh.php#

Get to know Medieval Rome, the unsung side of the Eternal city (until February 5th)

Too often when visiting Rome we tend to focus on history moments such as Ancient Rome, Renaissance and Baroque. And what about those centuries between the fall of the Roman Empire and the rebirth of the Renaissance? This February 2023 take the chance to discover the Medieval period, when Rome fought to stand back on its feet.

There are some marks of Medieval Rome around us, but not as much. Because the medieval ruins and buildings were considered something not valuable, and destroyed to either be replaced by something more modern, or to bring back to light the ancient Roman ruins.

This exhibit focuses on the medieval period of Rome, which characterized so much the way the city looks like today.

The exhibit will run until February 5th, 2023 in the Museo di Roma of Palazzo Braschi, in Piazza Navona.

Website: https://www.museodiroma.it/en/node/1011574

Live a unique experience with us!

If you want to make your February Rome trip special and looking for something fun, unique, personal… you’re in the right place!

Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on discovering the authentic side of Rome. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Our experiences include the hidden gems of Trastevere, Centro Storico and the heart of Ancient Rome. You can find them all here!