Rome at Easter
 

We will be in Rome over Easter. Are there any special events on at this time? Will tourist attractions and shops be open?<BR>Help and ideas will be very appreciated.

We will also be in Rome over Easter, the second time we have been there during the holiday. On Holy Thursday, the Pope washes the feet of 12 people at the Vatican. On Good Friday, the Pope hears confessions (just a few and I think the people are selected ahead of time) but you can see him enter and exit the confessional at the Basilica. That evening, the Pope officiates at Mass/Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum. He used to carry the cross himself when he was younger but now several people take turns. There are some very beautiful Easter vigil Masses in the churches all over Rome, especially at the Pantheon. Then there is the big outside Easter Mass at the Vatican celebrated by the Pope. You don't need tickets to stand in the Piazza but do to sit near the altar. I obtained tickets by going to the website of the Church of Santa Susanna in Rome and they had a link for Papal Mass tickets. The Monday after Easter is a national holiday and many shops and restaurants are closed.

Are museums closed on Easter Monday too? How about train service -- is it on a reduced schedule? We're debating whether to stay in Rome that day or use it as a travel day to Amalfi.

A few museums will remain open but I don't know which ones. Most will be closed. When we were there on Easter Monday nine years ago, Ostia Antica was open and we went out there for a day trip and picnic. However someone on another board recently said it was closed last Easter Monday. Trains will be running at a reduced schedule and you should make sure ahead of time if what you want to see on the Amalfi Coast will be open.

Is there any way to find out ahead of time what that reduced schedule will be? I'm planning on taking the train from Sorrento - Naples - Rome - Cortona on Easter Monday, and now wondering if I should cancel my hotel reservation in Cortona and just play it by ear once I get there. The schedule on trenitalia for that day looks fine, but is it taking into consideration the fact that the day is a holiday? Does anyone know?

Any help would be appreciated ...

Trenitalia's schedule may or may not reflect what actually transpires on the holiday but there still will be plenty of trains running, especially on major routes like Naples/Rome and Rome/Florence, although if you are taking a local train to Cortona you may want to double check departures from Rome. I wouldn't cancel my reservation due to the train schedule.

Thanks, Grinisa. I guess I'll keep the reservation and just check the train schedules at the station before heading to the coast.

I would make a train seat reservation traveling any time around the Easter holiday. We were in Italy Rome, Florence, Venice during Easter week 2001 and there were lots of Italian's (especially school groups) on holiday. Quite crowded everywhere.