Historical Flower Festival of Rome

A carpet of flowers in front of St. Peter's

The Historical Flower Festival of Rome is one of the most evocative highlights of the Roman summer. On the night between June 28th and 29th, for the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the city's patron saints, the grand expanse of St. Peter's Square and Via della Conciliazione is covered in colorful floral carpets and large-scale ephemeral art. Hundreds of volunteers work through the night, petal by petal, to compose an artistic and symbolic path by dawn that captivates citizens, pilgrims, and tourists alike.

A tradition reborn since 1625

The first Roman flower festival dates back to June 29, 1625: it was the Vatican florist Benedetto Drei, head of the St. Peter's Floreria, who composed the first petal carpets, a custom later championed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and spread throughout many Italian villages. After centuries of oblivion in Rome, the tradition was rediscovered in 2010 and has been held annually since 2011 thanks to the Pro Loco of Rome Capital. In 2025, the event celebrated the four-hundredth anniversary of the first flower festival (1625-2025), confirming an intangible cultural heritage that unites faith, art, and community.

The Flower Festival of the Pro Loco of Italy

Alongside the Historical Flower Festival curated by the Rome Pro Loco, the Flower Festival of the Pro Loco of Italy is promoted by UNPLI (National Union of Pro Loco of Italy). Dozens of Pro Loco associations and groups of master flower artists arrive from various regions of the peninsula to tell the stories, symbols, and identities of their territories through beauty. The carpets are created with fresh and dried flowers, petals, colored sawdust, sand, salt, sugar, fruit, and other natural materials, following the ancient art of floral mosaics.

Program and atmosphere

Work begins in the late afternoon of June 28th and continues non-stop throughout the night, as the square comes alive with teams working under the lights. By the morning of June 29th, the compositions are complete, and the blessing of the carpets takes place in an atmosphere of celebration and reflection. The works remain visible to the public throughout the day until evening. Admission is free, and the event is particularly suitable for families and those wishing to experience an authentic moment of Roman tradition.

In Rome, in the heart of Lazio

The event takes place in the Borgo district, in the Municipality of Rome, in the province of Rome and the Lazio region. The setting is among the most extraordinary in the world: Bernini's colonnade and St. Peter's Basilica serve as the backdrop for the flower carpets, making the Historical Flower Festival of Rome a unique encounter between popular art, spirituality, and grand urban scenery.