Hello all,
I am planning a week in Rome, most likely in April. I am wondering if any of you know whether many places in Rome--museums, stores, tours, etc.--might be closed on or around Easter time. In reality, I'd prefer to avoid Easter there (not for any religious reason), but for scheduling reasons my visit may end up around that time and I am trying to get a sense of how much I will be able to see/do if I end up there around Easter.
Any input from your experiences would be most gratefully appreciated! Many thanks!

Many things will be closed, especially from Good Friday to the end of Easter Sunday. I think it is a question of having a strategy and making lemonade from a lemon.

The Jewish Quarter near the Porta d'Ottavia is a good place to have dinner Good Friday. Plan to visit the Churches on Easter Sunday, when you are likely to see them in their full glory -- or hear a great choir if you go for a high mass. The Pantheon is actually a Catholic church, so it should be open Easter Sunday.

Check to see when the museums and the Forum will be open and plan accordingly.

For "Holy Saturday," see the things that never close: the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the views from the places recommended in your guidebook.

Actually, the Friday and Saturday before Easter are quite normal days, for stores, museums and everything else.

But Easter Monday is an official holiday, so stores will be closed as will most museums (the Vatican Museums definitely, but they are open on Friday and Saturday).

On Easter Sunday, many restaurants may be closed and those that are open may be full of Italian families at lunch. If there is a particular restaurant you want to go to on Easter Sunday, it would be wise to reserve.

Easter (Holy Week until the week after, April 9-23 this year) is extremely crowded in Rome, with pilgrims from all over the world and tourists. Accommodation will be in short supply, so be sure to book. Vatican Museums and other attractions will also be very busy. While Easter is a lovely time to be in Rome for pilgrims, for tourists it isn't ideal (due to crowding) and best to delay by a week or two.

Thanks for that added info, Eloise. I'm surprised that Good Friday isn't a shut out. Even in New York City it can get pretty quiet.

I've been in some churches where, on Good Friday, the altar and other artworks are draped in black.

Nessundorma, I was surprised myself, because where I live - Montreal - Good Friday is also a holiday (but Easter Monday is not).

It's true that on Good Friday statues and even crosses may be draped in black or purple, so it might not be the best day to go see Bernini's Santa Teresa at Santa Maria della Vittoria...
And I seem to recall that the draping is only removed during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Good Friday services tend to take place in the late afternoon or early evening.

Well, I'll take just about any excuse to go the Jewish Quarter and eat fried artichokes. Avoiding the mob scene at St. Peter's would be a good one!

Many thanks for your responses and the helpful information. Especially about the fried artichokes--one of my favorite foods! I have been in Italy once before and asked for "carciofi" in every restaurant--alas, that trip was apparently not in artichoke season!
I do appreciate the heads-up about Easter Monday; I had not thought about that day.
It sounds like I will be able to see and do other things if I strategize in advance.
Thanks!

I like Da Giggetto for fried artichokes, which is right next to the Porta d'Ottavia, and thus easy to locate on any map.

And according to a month-by-month list of fruit and vegetables in season that I copied from an Italian Web site into Word, artichokes are definitely in season in April!

If you go a bit out of Rome, you will be able to witness the real Easter festivities including hooded processions for Good Friday, noisy explosive rites in Tarquinia on Easter Sunday and ritual treks to grottos of Etruscan/Christian sites on Easter MOnday. Its all on my Newsletter (No. 52) For an email copy send me a request at [email protected]

Thanks everyone. Ok, I've started my official Italy list and it begins with artichokes (at Da Giggetto)! Now all I have to do is find my dates and get a plane ticket.
Also, thanks for the info about the Jewish Quarter which I didn't know about--I've been in Rome once, but only for 3 days, so there will still be plenty to see on this trip.

We were in Rome the week before Easter and were able to see everything in and out of the Vatican, Spanish Steps etc. We watched them set up for the Pope's appearance. We returned a week later and heard that you could not get near the Vatican let alone in it. The Spanish Steps were covered with people. Try to go the week before otherwise skip it! BK