What to do in Rome on Easter 2024

How to celebrate Easter 2024 and the Holy Week in Rome

Keep the whole family entertained over the Easter holidays with our roundup of the best things to do during Easter 2024 in Rome: from the traditional Easter breakfast and lunch, the exchange of chocolate eggs, and tuning in on Holy Mass.

As you may have noticed, religious celebrations besides being deeply rooted in Italians’ traditions, are also deeply rooted in the Italians’ hearts. Surely, Easter is among the most loved ones. Its celebration extends over one entire week, the Holy Week, during which families reunite, attend various religious events, and enjoy big meals together.

Whether you are celebrating Easter with your family, friends, or alone, we are happy to tell you that there is a lot you can do here in Rome on Easter. The city and its nearby towns offer many opportunities to discover old celebrations and local traditional foods.

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Traditional Easter lunch in Rome

After the morning Mass, Italian families always reunite for a traditional lunch. The more traditional will stay home preparing typical foods, others, instead, prefer to go to a restaurant in Rome. Whatever your decision is, the variety of typical foods will amaze you.

Easter dishes vary across Italy: each town has different traditions!  However, there are some universal and must-have dishes shared all over the country: handmade pasta, torta pasqualina, lamb, colomba pasquale, and the chocolate eggs. 

Check out our proposals for a typical Easter lunch in Rome.

Rome Cavalieri

Via del Nuoto, 29
romecavalieri.com

The Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, a magnificent resort famous for its Mediterranean park and breathtaking views of the Eternal City, is ready to welcome guests for the Easter holidays. The famous Easter brunch at the Rome Cavalieri offers delights for both Easter and Easter Monday. On both days, guests can enjoy a feast of the most delicious delicacies from our region. Children’s entertainment is also a must, including an “Easter egg hunt,” decorating chocolate eggs, and sports games.

Unique al Palatino

Via di San Teodoro, 48
alpalatinoristorante.it
€80 per person, all included

Unique at Palatino Garden Restaurant is organizing a special fixed-price lunch for Easter Sunday on March 31st. The menu is complete and includes appetizer, first course, second course, dessert, and beverages at a cost of €80 per person.

Classico Bistrot

Via della Giuliana,3
classicobistrot.com
€65 per person, drinks not included

For Easter, chef Roberto Micali has designed a menu that embraces tradition. After a surprise entrée, lunch starts with two traditional appetizers: Casatiello and Easter Tartlet. For the first courses, there’s Lasagna with Roman-style artichokes and Ravioli stuffed with ricotta and topinambur in lamb white ragout . Not to be missed is the breaded lamb cutlet served with vignarola. Finally, the homemade Pastiera concludes the meal.

47 Circus Roof Garden

Via Luigi Petroselli, 47
47circusroofgarden.com
€70 per person, drinks not included

47 Circus Roof Garden is the terrace of the 47 Boutique Hotel, one of the greenest hotels in Rome, the only one in the city to have received the important Green Globe certification. For Easter lunch, in addition to the usual menu, there will be a special 5-course menu created for the occasion by chef Maurizio Lustrati. The menu includes Risotto with artichokes, mint, pecorino cheese, and guanciale and Lamb chops with herbs and field chicory.

Hotel Eden

Via Ludovisi, 49
dorchestercollection.com
€155 per person, drinks not included

This year, at Il Giardino Ristorante, on the top floor of Hotel Eden, you can celebrate Easter with a special menu inspired by Easter traditions. The menu features appetizers like Casatiello, Colorful julienne salad, the selection “I Salumi di San Rocco,” and Lamb and artichoke pie. For the main course, savor Candele with octopus genovese, and Lamb with herb crust and agretti. And don’t forget to treat yourself to some dessert.

Caffè delle Arti

Via Antonio Gramsci, 73
caffedelleartiroma

Caffè delle Arti, located in the National Gallery of Rome, is undoubtedly a picturesque venue to spend Easter and Easter Monday. For the Easter holidays, in addition to the à la carte menu, you can enjoy a selection of typical traditional dishes such as Roman-style artichoke, vignarola, fettuccine with lamb ragu and artichokes, and roasted lamb with potatoes.

Terrazza Les Etoiles

Via dei Bastioni, 1
terrazzalesetoiles.com

The panoramic Terrazza Les Etoiles at Hotel Atlante Star in Prati proposes a special menu for Easter lunch including “Wagyu beef carpaccio, Teriyaki sauce, artichoke salad and parmesan 60 months”, “Tortello of Vignoralo (mix vegetable), cheese and pepper sauce” and “Leg of lamb, rib to the Villeroy and artichoke”.

Ditirambo

Piazza della Cancelleria, 74
ditiramboristorante.it
€45 per person, drinks not included

For Easter and Easter Monday, Ditirambo offers a typical Italian menu composed of: Traditional appetizer with corallina, cheese tart, and boiled egg; Lasagna with artichokes and smoked scamorza cheese; Oven-roasted lamb with artichokes; Jewish-style artichoke. Sweet closure with Neapolitan Pastiera.

Osteria Fratelli Mori

Via dei Conciatori, 10
osteriafratellimori.it

For Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Alessandro and Francesco Mori offer special off-menu dishes tied to the Easter tradition. In addition to the à la carte menu, you can enjoy the typical Easter appetizer with cheese tart, corallina, asparagus omelette, and lamb innards with artichokes. Delicious homemade gnocchi with lamb sauce, and tasty oven-roasted lamb are also available.

Adelaide – Hotel Vilòn restaurant

Via dell’Arancio, 69
hotelvilon.com
€130 per person, drinks not included

Adelaide, the restaurant of Vilòn Roma, will be serving an Easter lunch prepared by Chef Gabriele Muro. Traditional recipes include artichokes, fresh peas with spring onions, and asparagus with wild herbs. The sweet highlight is the serving of pastiera for dessert, with two versions available: a revisited one and the classic. As an Easter gift, guests who have booked lunch will receive a complimentary classic pastiera.

Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro

Piazza della Cancelleria, 80
hosteriagrappolodoro.it

For Easter and Easter Monday, Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro will include typical local dishes on the menu. Don’t miss the Easter Antipasto: a selection of cured meats and cheeses, eggs, corallina, coratella and cheese pizza. In addition, you’ll find Coratella with artichokes and, as dessert, the Maritozzi della Quaresima, a Roman classic: soft rolls with raisins.

ViVi Villa Pamphili

Via Vitellia, 102
vivibistrot.com
€30 per person

ViVi, Lifestyle & Food, inaugurates the spring season by offering a special Picnic menu for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. The menu is designed to be enjoyed comfortably on the lawn of Villa Pamphili, surrounded by the beauty of Italian gardens and monumental trees. Dishes on the menu include Escarole quiche with pine nuts, olives, and raisins, Colored Boiled Eggs, Jamaican Chicken – organic chicken marinated in cocoa, sugar, and grilled lime -, and Homemade Neapolitan pastiera made by ViVi. To drink, ginger and lime vitamin water, organic prosecco, and water.

Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

Via di San Basilio, 15
alephrome.com

Celebrate Easter Sunday joyfully with a special Easter brunch! Enjoy a feast of traditional Roman and Neapolitan Easter dishes, given a modern twist by Executive Chef Carmine Buonanno. Indulge in dishes like abbacchio with vignarola, Roman-style artichokes, lasagna, and Easter desserts like pastiera and colomba. Plus, kids can join an exciting Easter egg hunt from 1pm to 4pm. As for dinner, both on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, enjoy Le Petit Chef & Family, a unique culinary and entertainment experience for all ages.

Easter Monday at the Aleph Rome Hotel means an elegant picnic in one of Rome’s lush parks. Enjoy tasty treats like casatiello, cured meats, pastiera, and ricotta and sour cherry cake while spending time with family and friends in nature.

Chocolate Eggs and Colombe in Rome

It is not Easter without an Easter egg or a Colomba, everyone knows that. Apart from being able to purchase famed chocolate eggs from more commercial brands at the grocery store, you can also try some of the best Easter eggs in Rome from the following pasticcerie and bakeries!

Eataly Rome

Easter has already arrived at Eataly. In store and online you’ll find many different types of chocolate eggs and colombe, the best traditional products, unique meats and cheeses, excellent wines… and many other quality products for an Easter to remember. This year, Eataly is introducing three delightful variations of Easter colombe and four different flavors of chocolate eggs, all bearing the Eataly brand. These are unique products that will surely surprise you.

Said

For those who don’t know, SAID is one of the chocolate institutions of Rome and for Easter you can buy or order some of their famous chocolate sweets. SAID offers a wide and exciting variety of Easter eggs, from the classic ones to those with salted caramel, orange, ginger, pistachio and more… They also offer delicious colombe, covered in white or milk chocolate. Prices range from 15 to 44 euros.

Walter Musco Bompiani

Walter Musco’s colomba from Pasticceria Bompiani is renowned, as are the chocolate eggs, the pastiera, cheese pizza and casatiello. You can buy them in store at Largo Benedetto Bompiani 8, or order them online. Prices range between 20 and 42 euros and the products are incredible and of the highest quality.

For Easter 2024, Walter Musco and his pastry laboratory have prepared the exhibition “Roma Città Aperta(?)”, scheduled from 15 March to 30 March. This title pays tribute to Rossellini’s film. The exhibition will showcase chocolate eggs representing the influences of famous figures who were born or lived in Rome at different times, such as Bernini and Caravaggio, as well as iconic landmarks like St. Peter’s, the Ara Pacis, the cobblestones, and more.

Grezzo Raw Chocolate

This Raw Vegan shop will give you the opportunity to try the only Raw Chocolate Eggs in the world! Try their collection of vegan, gluten-free Easter Eggs, made with raw cacao obtained from cocoa beans not roasted but sun-dried, harvested in the heart of South America. This includes the raw chocolate egg made with 85% cocoa sweetened with erythritol, a zero-calorie sweetener extracted from plants, as well as one with hazelnuts. Grezzo reinvents Easter with extraordinary creations that everyone, absolutely everyone, can enjoy guilt-free.

Le Levain

Try Le Levain’s colomba, one of the city’s best at 34 euros. Made with natural yeast, candied Sorrento oranges, vanilla and a crispy almond glaze. Or try the classic pastiera, with artisanal sheep ricotta, available at 24 or 32 euros depending on size. Also, the signature chocolate eggs by Giuseppe Solfrizzi are back.

Antico Forno Roscioli

Antico Forno Roscioli is one of the most famous places for food delicacies in Rome. Buy their classical artisanal colomba or the version with pear and chocolate. Try also their casatiello, a special savory bread originating from Naples.

Fabbrica Giuliani

The Fabbrica Giuliani, established in 1949, produces chocolate and sweets, and at Easter the much-loved eggs, using high-quality chocolate. They also offer colomba, available gluten and lactose-free, and even with Marrons Glacés. Their store on Via Paolo Emilio 67 and online shop feature beautifully decorated eggs as well as those adorned with dried fruits like walnuts, pistachios, and almonds.

Panificio Bonci

From the casatiello to the pastiera, you can buy many traditional Easter treats from Panificio Bonci. And the famous colomba could not be missing either!

Holy Week in Rome 2024

• 24th March 2024 (Palm Sunday) 
• 28th March 2024 (Maundy Thursday) 
• 29th March 2024 (Easter Friday or Good Friday) 
• 30th March 2024 (Holy Saturday) 
• 31st March 2024 (Easter Sunday)
• 1st April 2024 (Easter Monday) 

On March 24th, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, the Pope will celebrate the commemoration of the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem and the Holy Mass at 10am. On Holy Thursday (March 28th), the Chrism Mass will take place at 9.30am and the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will take place at 6pm.

One of the most important religious events in Rome is the traditional Via Crucis or “Way of the Cross” led by Pope Francis. The procession, which retraces Christ’s way to his crucifixion, will depart from the Colosseum at 9pm on March 29th. The Rome Via Crucis is attended by thousands of faithful people, that is why the procession is usually very crowded. If you are looking for something smaller and more intimate, there are alternatives too.

If you are looking for something smaller and more intimate, there are alternatives too; the night of Good Friday, the small town of Bracciano commemorates the Via Crucis throughout the alleys of its medieval center. The town, located only 40 minutes north of Rome, will host a religious reenactment composed of more than 150 performers. Every year, the actors’ old traditional costumes and Bracciano’s enchanting medieval atmosphere attract people from all over Italy. The procession of Good Friday is also celebrated in many neighboring towns such as Albano Laziale, Castel Madama, and Nerola.

On Holy Saturday (March 30th) there will be the Easter vigil in the Holy Night at 9pm. And on Easter Sunday (March 31st), the celebration of the Holy Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord will take place at 10am. Once the mass is over, the Holy Father will impart the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing at 12pm.

If you’re in Rome during Holy Week, don’t miss out on the Papal Audience on Wednesday. You can get tickets here. 

Traditional Easter breakfast

On Easter morning, the traditional breakfast is one of Italy’s must-have traditions. This meal, a kind of brunch, consists of cold cuts, hard-boiled eggs, different kinds of cheese, Easter pizza (sweet or savory), fruit, and freshly opened chocolate eggs. This traditional breakfast can also include tasty vegetarian options such as erbazzone, a typical Italian savory quiche stuffed with wild herbs and spices that vary from region to region.

Easter in the Museums of Rome

During the Easter holidays, the Civic Museums of Rome will be open to the public, including Easter Monday, offering visitors their rich artistic and cultural heritage. From Thursday, March 28th to Monday, April 1st, the usual event “Easter in the Museums” returns. In addition to visiting the permanent collections and ongoing exhibitions, it will be possible to participate in guided tours, itineraries, workshops, and educational activities suitable for all ages and interests, allowing visitors to discover the city and its history in an unusual and enjoyable way.

How to celebrate Pasquetta Italian style

The last day of celebration after Pasqua is Pasquetta. Easter Monday is usually spent by Italians as a day trip to the countryside. Families and friends meet to have a relaxing picnic in some of the beautiful parks of Rome, either organizing a nice barbecue or bringing the leftovers from the Sunday Easter lunch.

Check out some more day trips you can take to celebrate Pasquetta

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