As the days get longer, gardens start to bloom, and the temperature begins to rise, now feels like the perfect time to visit Rome. In spring, when nature starts to awaken from its winter slumber, the Italian capital is full of wonderful sights and scents thanks to beautiful parks such as the Roseto Comunale (Municipal Rose Garden), in which the rosebuds are starting to open. Plus, this is the time of year when the city celebrates its birthday! So, before it gets too hot, Rome awaits. Let’s take a look at some of the best things to see and do at this time of year.
Related Read: Rome’s Best Hotels with MICHELIN-Starred Dining
The 2025 Jubilee
The Roman Catholic Jubilee has its origins in Hebrew traditions, which established a year of rest for the land every 50 years, with the aim of improving its yield. During this period, confiscated lands were returned to their owners and slaves were freed. The beginning of the Jubilee was announced by the sound of a ram’s horn known in Hebrew as a yobel, from which the word Jubilee has evolved.
In the Roman Catholic church, the Jubilee, which takes place every 25 years, is a year dedicated to the remission of sins, reconciliation, conversion, and penitence, all of which are achieved via a pilgrimage which is understood not only as a physical visit to holy sites but also as a spiritual journey.
The most famous and emotional rite is the opening of the Holy Door in Rome’s most important basilicas, namely St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Paul’s Outside the Walls, and St Mary Major. The rite involves the Pope knocking on the walled-up door three times with a silver hammer, as he proclaims the words "Aperite mihi portas iustitiae" (“Open to me the doors of justice”). Then a cardinal knocks twice and finally the door is opened. The Pope is the first to pass through the Holy Door, holding a cross in his right hand and a lit candle in his left. The Holy Year ends with the closing and walling up of the Holy Doors until the next Jubilee.
The 2025 Jubilee started on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica and will end on January 6, 2026.
Click here for the calendar of events planned for the Holy Year.
Natale di Roma
On April 21, Rome commemorates the founding of the city by Romulus in 753 BC. During this period, the city organizes events and celebrations such as historical parades, reenactments of Ancient Roman rituals, gladiator fights, and light shows. The most spectacular event is the parade around Circus Maximus, in which 1,500 participants dressed in historical costumes take part. Click here for further information.
Also during the Natale di Roma, on Monday April 21, the gates to the delightful Roseto Comunale on Via di Valle Murcia will open until June 16, allowing visitors to admire the extraordinary collection of roses from across the globe. On the third Saturday in May, the prestigious Premio Roma competition, which chooses the best new rose varieties, will take place in the gardens.
Art
Spring 2025 is a great time to be an art-lover in Rome, with an enticing array of exhibitions across the city, covering a variety of periods and styles.
Caravaggio 2025
March 7 to July 6, 2025
The National Gallery of Ancient Art in Palazzo Barberini is hosting an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Caravaggio, with paintings from all around the world, including some works that have never previously been exhibited and others which are rarely seen on display. This rich collection will offer an in-depth reflection on Caravaggio’s work and the revolutionary effect that it had on art at the time.
Where to Eat Nearby
Discover traditional cuisine from the Emilia region of Italy at Colline Emiliane.
Munch: The Inner Scream
February 11 to June 2, 2025
This exhibition held at the Palazzo Bonaparte is dedicated to the great Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944), one of the leading artists at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and a precursor to Expressionism.
Where to Eat Nearby
Experience a taste of China without leaving Rome at Green T.
The Farnese in 16th-Century Rome
February 11 to May 18, 2025
The Villa Caffarelli at the Capitoline Museums plays host to 140 masterpieces including ancient sculptures, bronzes, paintings, drawings, manuscripts, gems, and coins from the Collezione Farnese, one of the Renaissance era's most prestigious collections of artworks and archaeological exhibits. Particular attention is paid to the figure of Pope Paolo III Farnese (1469-1549), who played a fundamental role in the expansion of the collection.
Flowers: From the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence
February 14 to September 14, 2025
At the Chiostro del Bramante, this extraordinary exhibition of paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, tapestries, photographs, installations, and works of augmented reality and artificial intelligence offers a unique sensorial journey through five centuries of art, culture, and innovation. Uniting it all is the beauty of flowers, which are allowed to take center stage in all their glory.
Where to Eat & Stay Nearby
Enjoy classic dishes packed with local and traditional flavors at Da Armando al Pantheon, or alternatively indulge in the MICHELIN-Starred cuisine at Idylio by Apreda, which is itself located inside the elegant Pantheon Iconic hotel, part of the Autograph Collection—yet another reason to visit Rome this spring!
