Rome’s Birthday (Natale di Roma) is celebrated, in modern epoch, for the twenty-sixth time. As we know, the Eternal City is said to have been founded on April 21st, 753 BC. And the Roman Historical Group (Gruppo Storico Romano), in 2001, decided to solemnly celebrate the birthday of the Italian capital: involving institutions, cultural associations of historical reenactment and the entire community.
Around the date of April 21st, the three closest days that fall on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are chosen each year. In 2026 these days were April 17th, 18th and 19th. And it was a period of return to antiquity. At least, in the area of the Circus Maximus, the place chosen by the organizers for the event to take place.
After the institutional greetings, historical reenactment groups from various countries around the world including Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Spain and Thailand, set off in a historical parade: two thousand people dressed in the costumes of Ancient Rome paraded through the Circus Maximus and then went on walking through the streets of Rome. The route included Via del Teatro di Marcello, Via Petroselli, the Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, the Colosseum, Via di San Gregorio.
After the parade, the Circus Maximus hosted dances. Ancient dances were performed by Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Georgian historical groups. A lot of historical reenactments took place like the Rape of the Sabine Women and other iconic events from Rome’s rich history. The dances of Nereid nymphs, the dances of the caryatids enchanted the audience. The evening ended with the reenactment of an important battle for Roman history.
The Contado di Aquino Heraldic Association – APS coming from the city that was the birthplace of Saint Thomas, the universally known ecclesiastic and philosopher, took part in the historical parade. Men, women and children paraded in Rome representing Heraldry. In addition to the costumes reproduced in an effective and truthful way, the researchers’ study focused on accessories and objects that added authenticity to the historical figures. These were necklaces, bracelets, monisti, rings, fans, parasols and much more.
The Contado di Aquino Heraldic Association – APS is known for its constant commitment to historical reenactment and to the promotion of the historical, artistic and cultural heritage of the territory. For many years Clementina Tommasina Evangelista and Pier Paolo Forlini, founders of the Association, and other members have been organizing medieval festivals with parades in historical costumes, reenacting episodes from the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas set in the Middle Ages, of Countess Giulia Gonzaga set in the Renaissance and of some figures from Ancient Rome.
The founders of the Association are also authors of a valuable volume “Historiographical Anthology of Ciociaria” in which all 91 municipalities of Ciociaria Area are cited and the history of each of them is narrated. Recent is the publication of illustrated plates on the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas entitled “The Little, Great Thomas Aquinas”, a volume already present in the libraries of Bologna, Florence, Rome and Frosinone. Furthermore, the authors have shot the first film about Saint Thomas Aquinas, reproduced the coin of Caius Pescennius Niger and the sweets: the “Aquinas Sweet” and the “Aquinas Coin”. The Heraldic Association also creates flags, exhibitions of historical costumes and paintings as well as banquets in ancient Roman, medieval and Renaissance style.
The success of the participation in the historical parade in 2026 pushes the Contado di Aquino Heraldic Association – APS to take part in a historical reenactment in front of the numerous viewers of the Circus Maximus. For there are still many stories that the land of Fondi (LT) and Aquino (FR) holds, and they are absolutely worth being told to a great audience.
Olga Matsyna
