Rome celebrates 2,777th anniversary with mega parade

ROME, April 22: Italy’s capital on Sunday celebrated the city’s 2,777th anniversary, the annual retrospective of the city’s long history that has become increasingly popular with tourists in recent years.

On Sunday the city erupted with concerts, exhibitions, ceremonies and a parade of more than 2,000 people marching as legionaries, centurions, senators, gladiators, vestals, priestesses and nobles, all dressed in full Roman-era costumes.

“It is a way to pay tribute to the history of our city, while enjoying and showing off to visitors and students,” Marco Contarini, a 29-year-old coffee bar worker who took part in the parade on Sunday dressed as a chief, told Xinhua.

According to tradition, Rome was founded on April 21, 753 BC

Sunday’s celebration was held at Circus Maximus, a former Roman-era racing circuit located in a low area between the Palatine and the Aventine, the hills with a deep connection to the city’s history.

Preston Juan Loria, a 49-year-old project manager from Florida, the United States, said discovering the day’s festivities was a happy coincidence while on holiday in the city.

“We didn’t plan to come to Rome for the city’s anniversary, but seeing all this is a great way to spend part of the day and take it all in,” Loria told Xinhua . “I especially enjoyed seeing the contrasts, the historical costumes in a modern city.”

Although the origins of Sunday celebrations date back centuries, the events have captured the attention of travelers as tourism in Italy has recovered from the setbacks of the coronavirus pandemic. There are no official estimates on the number of people who participated in Sunday’s activities. According to media reports, the city has deployed additional police for security and traffic control. According to media reports, hotel bookings were higher than normal this weekend. (UNI)