April 25th in Quarticciolo – Liberation Day Festival

A Liberation Day built by the neighborhood

In just a few years, April 25th in Quarticciolo has become one of the most attended Liberation Day events in Rome, within the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It does not stem from an institutional program: it is a grassroots event organized by the associations, committees, and social groups that bring the popular Quarticciolo district to life in the city's eastern periphery. The result is a celebration that blends historical memory, live music, and neighborhood life, with free admission for all.

The morning anti-fascist parade

The day kicks off in the morning with a gathering at Piazza delle Camelie in Centocelle, followed by a tribute to fallen partisans. From there, the anti-fascist parade sets off around 10:30 AM, marching through the streets of East Rome—via dei Castani, piazza dei Mirti, piazza dei Gerani—to reach Quarticciolo by lunchtime. The route retraces the geography of the Roman Resistance: these working-class neighborhoods, born in the 1930s and 40s, were among the most active in the fight against Nazi-fascist occupation, and Quarticciolo, in particular, is remembered for its partisan band.

The music festival at Parco Modesto Di Veglia

From the early afternoon, the heart of the event shifts to Parco Modesto Di Veglia, the public park overlooking via Ugento and via Trani, in the heart of Quarticciolo. The stage lights up around 2:00 PM, and the program continues non-stop until evening. Over the years, the line-up has brought together diverse worlds: Roman singer-songwriters, rap and trap, reggae sound systems and dancehall, militant folk bands, as well as readings and performances by actors and actresses from Italian cinema and theater.

• Singer-songwriter and indie music: Artists such as Fiorella Mannoia, Giorgio Poi, Giancane, Laila Al Habash, and Martina Attili have graced the park's stage.
• Rap, reggae, and sound systems: Hi Shine, Uzi Luke, Pegs, DJ Ceffo, and other acts tied to the Roman scene.
• Theater and cinema: Readings and performances by actors and actresses like Anna Foglietta and Jasmine Trinca, alongside comedy moments with Valerio Lundini.
• Neighborhood initiatives: Youth music collectives, choirs, and projects born within the district's schools and social spaces.

Much more than a concert

A true neighborhood festival develops around the stage: association stalls, self-managed food stands, children's areas, solidarity initiatives, and fundraising drives. In recent years, the day has also hosted installations and moments of reflection on current international issues, confirming that April 25th is a living celebration rather than just a commemoration. In some editions, the evening has concluded with an open-air film screening.

Why it's worth attending

Those arriving in Quarticciolo on April 25th will find an intergenerational, deeply Roman, and grassroots crowd: local families, students, veteran ANPI members, and curious visitors from the city center. The atmosphere is that of a community street party, not a commercial festival: there are no tickets or VIP areas, and participation remains the core value. For those visiting Rome during these days, it is also an opportunity to discover a part of the city far from the tourist circuits, in a public housing district that has become a cultural laboratory recognized well beyond the borders of Lazio.

A well-established appointment

The parade-plus-festival formula has been repeated consistently since at least 2023, growing in attendance and program quality year after year. The 2025 edition, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the Liberation from Nazi-fascism, marked a significant step up in scale, with a rich line-up and thousands of people in the park; the 2026 edition confirmed the format with a bill of nearly twenty artists.