Carcaricola Carnival

A neighborhood Carnival in Rome's eastern suburbs

The Carcaricola Carnival is one of the many festive events that animate the neighborhoods of Municipio VI delle Torri in Rome every year. It takes place in Piazza di Carcaricola, in the Tor Vergata area on the capital's eastern outskirts—a district that has grown rapidly in recent decades around the university campus and the major arteries leading toward the Castelli Romani and Via Casilina.

This is not a postcard-perfect Carnival with monumental floats and paid grandstands; it is a street festival, self-funded and supported by neighborhood committees, parishes, schools, and local associations. Because of this, it offers a genuine look at a lesser-known side of Roman tradition: the local neighborhood carnivals that survive thanks to volunteer work and remain, in many parts of the city, the only major collective winter outdoor event.

How the festival works

For one day, usually a Saturday afternoon, a stretch of Piazza di Carcaricola—from the intersection with Via Giovanni Caproni to Via Giuseppe Borsalino—is closed to traffic and returned to pedestrians. The space fills with gazebos, bouncy castles, stalls, and entertainment areas, while local families arrive on foot with their children in costume.

• Costume parade and walk along the square, open to anyone in disguise
• Entertainment for children, games, face painting, and confetti
• Live music and entertainment organized by local municipal associations
• Traditional Carnival sweets from Rome and the Lazio region: frappe, castagnole, and ciambelline
• Free admission for everyone, no booking required

To ensure safety, Roma Mobilità arranges for the diversion of bus lines 046 and 047 and the temporary suspension of affected stops every year: a technical detail that confirms how much the event impacts the ordinary life of the neighborhood for a few hours.

The Carnival tradition in Municipio VI

The Municipio delle Torri includes neighborhoods such as Torre Angela, Torre Maura, Tor Bella Monaca, Giardinetti, Finocchio, Lunghezza, and Carcaricola itself. In almost all of them, masked processions and local parties are organized in the weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday. In Finocchio, the parade crosses Via Fontana Candida and Via di Rocca Cencia, while in Torre Angela, the tradition of the float procession is historically linked to local schools and committees that have kept it alive for years.

The Carcaricola Carnival is part of this network of widespread events that animate all of Rome during the same period, from the Tiber Carnival on the river to ice skating at the Pincio, and the various municipal parades. The difference is the scale: this is a festival created within the neighborhood, for the people who live there.

Why it is worth visiting

Those looking for the spectacle of the major Lazio carnivals will find more satisfaction in Ronciglione or Poggio Mirteto. However, those curious to see how Rome experiences its local festivals, far from the historic center and tourist circuits, will find an authentic, lively, and well-attended afternoon in Carcaricola, where Carnival is still primarily a matter of children, neighbors, and volunteers.

An event to check every year

As this is a locally initiated event, the date is not fixed and is announced each time, usually a few weeks in advance, through the channels of Municipio VI delle Torri, the social media pages of neighborhood committees, and traffic ordinances published by Rome and Roma Mobilità. It is therefore always advisable to check before traveling.