"Easter in the Museums" in Rome – April 1st–6th
From Wednesday, April 1st to Monday, April 6th, 'Easter in the Museums' (Pasqua nei Musei) returns to the Italian capital. The special themed programme offers chances throughout Holy Week for everyone – including children – to enjoy free tours and activities at Rome’s civic museums and archaeological sites.
Though all the Pasqua nei Musei events are free (besides the museum admission fee), reservations are mandatory. View the full list of events and the number to call to reserve here.
And since Easter falls on the first Sunday of the month this year, entry to many of Italy's cultural sites will be free to all visitors in accordance with the normal 'free museum Sunday' programme.
Included in this month’s free openings is the popular "La Grecia a Roma" (Greece in Rome) exhibit at the Capitoline Museums.
Find all the free museums and exhibitions open on Easter here. The list of museums open on Easter Monday (Pasquetta) is available here.
Good Friday processions nationwide – April 3rd
Several Italian towns hold Good Friday Via Crucis (‘Way of the Cross’) processions that date back centuries.
The most popular one takes place in Rome, led by the Pope. This year, Pope Leo is set to become the first pope to carry the cross for the entirety of the parade. The procession is set to start at 9pm, and it is held primarily at the Colosseum.
Other notable Via Crucis events include the Procession of the Mysteries (I Misteri) in Trapani, Sicily, and the Processione del Cristo Morto in Chieti, Abruzzo.
READ ALSO: What's happening over Easter in Italy in 2026
Easter Mass at the Vatican – April 5th
For many Italians, Easter Sunday celebrations involve attending Mass in the morning.
The most notable Easter Mass in Italy is held by the Pope at St Peter’s, where he gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing. This year’s blessing will take place at noon.
'Scoppio del carro' Florentine Easter tradition – April 5th
Though cities and towns across Italy have their own religious and cultural ways of marking the Easter holiday, perhaps none is more famous than the Scoppio del Carro in Florence.
Every year on Easter Sunday, a cart packed full of fireworks is pulled from the Church of Santi Apostoli to the central Piazza del Duomo by four white oxen. There, a dove-shaped rocket (the so-called colombina) flies into the cart via a cable, setting off a firework display overhead.
The scoppio del carro (literally, ‘cart explosion’), which is thought to date as far back as the early 12th century, is attended by hundreds of residents and visitors every year.
Archi di Pasqua festival in Sicily – April 5th–May 10th
Agrigento hosts one of the most unique festivals of the year around Easter time.
Starting on Easter Sunday and running until May 10th, 2026, the village of San Biagio Platani turns into a fairyland of carbs – the streets are decorated with ornate architectural feats made of breads, reeds, dried agave stalks and citrus.
The Archi di Pasqua festival dates to the 1600s and is the focal point of the Easter Sunday procession. It has become a cultural phenomenon in which the village divides into two teams to compete for who has the most impressive food displays.
READ ALSO: 11 can't-miss festivals in Italy this spring
Artichoke festival near Rome – April 10th–12th
The Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco in Ladispoli, a seaside town northwest of Rome, is an annual event celebrating the famous ‘Romanesco’ artichoke – a staple of Lazio's culinary heritage.
During this vibrant three-day festival, Ladispoli's streets come alive with food stands offering a variety of artichoke-based dishes – from traditional recipes such as carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried artichokes) and carciofi alla romana (pan-braised artichokes) to innovative culinary creations.
Besides plenty of artichoke-based specialties, the festival also usually includes cooking contests, live music performances and a fireworks display in the evening of the final day.
The 2026 programme isn’t available yet, but should be published on the festival’s official website in the coming days.
'Vinitaly' wine fair in Verona – April 12th–15th
One of the most important dates in the calendar for wine lovers, this annual Verona-based fair draws producers and buyers from around the world for several days of talks, tastings, workshops and more.
While Vinitaly itself is an event for industry professionals, its spin-off 'Vinitaly and the City', held in the days leading up to main fair, specifically caters to dilettante oenophiles. This year's dates are April 10th-12th. More information about that here.
READ ALSO: Six things to do and see in Italy in spring 2026
Milan Art Week – April 13th–19th
The 10th edition of Milan's week-long celebration of the arts takes place in mid April this year. There will be more than 400 events, including exhibitions, talks, performances and special openings, presented by hundreds of institutions, foundations, galleries and independent spaces.
You can find the full programme here.
Rome’s birthday celebrations – April 21st
Rome celebrates its birthday – il Natale di Roma – on April 21st, which marks the date on which the city was allegedly founded.
Some of the annual celebrations include gladiator performances at the Circus Maximus and a parade of locals dressed in Ancient Roman garb.
The full programme of events will be shared here.
READ ALSO: Why Rome celebrates its birthday on April 21st
Opening of Rome's rose gardens – April 21st
Rome's Rose Garden (Roseto Comunale) will reopen for the spring season on April 21st, offering a stunning display of over 1,000 species of roses from all over the world.
Located on the scenic Aventine Hill, the garden is not only a verdant paradise but also a serene escape that provides breathtaking views of the city, including the Tiber River and the historic Circus Maximus.
Visitors can explore themed sections dedicated to specific types of rose and learn about the cultivation techniques and history of the flowers.
Annual light phenomenon at the Pantheon – April 21st
If you're lucky enough to be inside the Pantheon on April 21st, around noon, look towards the entrance: you'll see the sunlight that enters through the oculus hitting the door dead on.
This mesmerizing spectacle is known as the ‘Arch of Light’ (Arco di Luce).
Historians suspect that the Pantheon may have been designed to give the emperor some gloriously symbolic backlighting as he entered the temple to celebrate the anniversary of Rome's founding.
'Corsa all’anello' festival in Narni – April 23rd–May 10th
At the end of April, a festival in Narni celebrates a unique tradition in the town’s history.
The townspeople of Narni created the Corsa all’anello festival in honour of the town’s first bishop, Saint Giovenale. After falling out of recognition, the festival was reborn in 1968.
Riders on horseback try to snag a golden ring on a lance to win bragging rights for their district. Plenty of medieval costumes will be dusted off, and feasts of pork and wine will be held in the town.
The festival kicks off on April 23rd and will be spread across the following two-and-a-half weeks.
Tickets and the full programme (forthcoming) are available on the festival's official website.
'Salone del Mobile' furniture fair in Milan – April 25th–26th
One of the best scenes of the year for design lovers is the annual 'Salone del Mobile' (Milan Furniture Fair).
The event will run from April 21st to April 26th at the Rho Fiera complex. Access is limited to industry professionals for the first few days; the fair then opens to the general public on April 25th and 26th. Tickets can be purchased here.
Fuorisalone (literally, ‘outside the fair’) – a series of smaller shows, events and parties held across the city – will run parallel to the main furniture fair.
Liberation Day festivities – April 25th
Italy celebrates Liberation Day on April 25th, known as Il Giorno della Liberazione or La Festa della Resistenza (Celebration of the Resistance).
Most of the official celebrations are held in Rome – specifically at the Vittoriano monument in Piazza Venezia. Typically, Italy’s president presides over a formal ceremony, laying a laurel wreath over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a symbolic grave for Italian soldiers who died in combat but whose bodies were never recovered or identified.
READ ALSO: Bella Ciao and a day off: How Italy marks Liberation Day on April 25th
Other places in the capital city, Liberation Day is marked by parades and marches honouring those who fought in the Italian Resistance, as well as renditions of the Bella Ciao anthem.
One of the most thrilling events of the day is the annual flyover of the Frecce Tricolori – the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic unit – whose jets will leave patriotic trails of green, white and red smoke in the sky.
'Festa di San Marco' / 'Festa del Bocolo' in Venice – April 25th
If you missed out on Valentine’s celebrations (or need a do-over), the Festa di San Marco in Venice gives you a second chance.
Held every April 25th, the festival honours the city's patron saint – St Mark – but in modern times it's commonly used as an opportunity to celebrate love and romance.
Also called the Festa del Bocolo, bocolo meaning ‘red rosebud’ in Venetian dialect, it's traditional to give your loved one a red rose on this day.
Did we miss your favourite April event? Let us know in the comments below.
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