“A Roma, chi campa speranno, more scannato.”
In Rome, he who lives on hope dies slaughtered.
Welcome to Wednesday, May 27 — the midpoint of a vibrant week in the Eternal City. The Giochi della Gioventù are into their second day, with 6,000 young athletes competing across eleven disciplines as Piazza del Popolo and the Stadio Olimpico buzz with cheers from students and families. The weather holds fair and warm at 26°C, perfect for the outdoor events. On this day in 1328, Louis IV was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in an antipapal ceremony at St. Peter's — a reminder that Rome's political dramas have always run deep. Today also marks the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the monk who brought Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons, and of St. John I, a pope who died a martyr in Ravenna. The cultural calendar remains full: the World Press Photo exhibition at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, the Cyprus and Italy shared-heritage show at Castel Sant'Angelo, and the Roseto Comunale rose garden in peak May bloom. Let's step into Wednesday.
The national finals of the Nuovi Giochi della Gioventù enter their second day today, with competitions spreading across Rome's seven dedicated venues from morning until evening. Yesterday's opening ceremony at Piazza del Popolo drew thousands of students and officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sport, who praised the revival of the historic youth games as a tool for inclusion and social cohesion.
Today's schedule features athletics preliminaries at the Stadio Olimpico, swimming heats at the Foro Italico pools, and the first rounds of handball and basketball at the Stadio della Farnesina. Futsal and table tennis continue at the CONI Preparation Centre and Palazzetto dello Sport respectively. The games run through Friday 29 May, when the closing ceremony at the Stadio Olimpico will award 70 prizes across all disciplines.
The Roseto Comunale, Rome's celebrated municipal rose garden on the Aventine Hill, has entered its peak flowering period, attracting visitors from across the city and beyond. The garden, which sits on the site of Rome's ancient Jewish cemetery, features over 1,100 varieties of roses from around the world, arranged in terraced beds that descend toward the Circus Maximus.
May is the ideal month to visit, with the majority of cultivars in full bloom against the backdrop of the Palatine Hill and the dome of St. Peter's. The garden is open daily from 8:30 am until sunset, with free admission. A concurrent exhibition on the history of rose cultivation in Rome is on display at the adjacent Casina del Roseto.
The major archaeological exhibition 'Cyprus and Italy: Shared Cultural Identities at the Dawn of History' continues its run at Castel Sant'Angelo, drawing strong attendance since opening in late February. The show brings together artefacts from Cypriot and Italian museums to trace the deep Mediterranean ties between the two regions — from Bronze Age trade networks to shared funerary practices and artistic traditions.
The exhibition, which runs through 30 June, is included with regular Castel Sant'Angelo admission and has been particularly popular with school groups and archaeology enthusiasts. Curators have extended guided tour hours to accommodate demand during the late-spring season.
Taste of Roma, the city's premier food festival, returns to the Gasometro Ostiense this weekend from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May, bringing together chefs from Rome's most celebrated restaurants. The three-day event features tasting stations, live cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, and evening music performances.
This year's edition places a special emphasis on Roman-Jewish culinary heritage, with a dedicated section on cucina ebraico-romanesca — the distinctive cuisine of Rome's ancient Jewish community, combining local ingredients with traditions dating back more than 2,000 years. Tickets are available online via the Taste of Roma website.