Infiorata of Genzano
The Corpus Domini flower carpet in the Castelli Romani
About Infiorata of Genzano
A street turned into a work of art
For four days in June, the heart of Genzano di Roma ceases to be just another street. Via Italo Belardi—the ancient Via Livia, which climbs steeply from the center toward the Church of the Most Holy Trinity—is covered by millions of hand-placed petals, forming a carpet of approximately 1,890 square meters stretching over 250 meters. This is the Traditional Infiorata, the most defining event of the Genzano di Roma municipality, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region.
The design is never accidental: each year a theme is chosen, and based on that theme, the Master Flower Artists create fifteen floral panels, in addition to the opening panel and the decoration of the famous small staircases. The result is visible for only a few hours, and this very fragility is part of the festival's charm.
From 1778 to today
The tradition of the Genzano Infiorata has been documented since 1778 and solidified over subsequent years as a popular tribute to the Corpus Domini procession. Since then, the festival has never lost its dual nature: on one hand, religious devotion, with the solemn Eucharistic celebration and the procession crossing the entire carpet; on the other, the civic pride of a town that spends weeks preparing, selecting, and preserving the flowers needed for the endeavor. In 2011, the Ministry of Tourism recognized the Infiorata as an Italian Heritage for Tradition.
How the carpet is born
The work begins long before visitors arrive. At dawn, in the municipal courtyard, the spelluccamento takes place: volunteers of all ages detach petals from the flowers and sort them by color, filling crates and bags to be kept in a cool place. Then come the ground sketches, traced in the evening on the pavement, and finally the actual laying of the petals, which happens at night so the color remains vibrant the next day.
- Spelluccamento — the preparation of the petals, the collective heart of the festival
- Ground sketch — the layout of the fifteen panels along the slope
- Infioratura — the nocturnal laying of the petals, open to public viewing
- Spallamento — the children's run that dismantles the carpet and closes the festival
The days of the festival
Sunday is the central day: the official inauguration in the morning with civil, military, and religious authorities present, the Eucharistic celebration in the late afternoon, the Corpus Domini procession walking over the flowers, the concert by the Genzano City Band, and, at the end of the evening, the fireworks display. Around this core, there are exhibitions of sketches at the Town Hall, guided tours of Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, the Olmata market, the «Under the Genzano Sky» fashion show, and the historical costume pageant.
The finale: the spallamento
The festival doesn't fade away slowly; it ends abruptly. On Monday evening, the children of Genzano run along the street and in a few minutes undo what took days of work: this is the spallamento, a liberating and ritualistic gesture that returns the street to the town. Those who want to see the Infiorata intact must therefore arrive between Saturday evening and Monday afternoon.
Genzano and the Castelli Romani
Genzano di Roma overlooks Lake Nemi, about thirty kilometers from the capital, and is one of the best-known towns of the Castelli Romani: PGI homemade bread, local wines, historic villas, and an 18th-century urban fabric designed around the trident descending toward the lake. Visiting the Infiorata is therefore also an opportunity for a day among the 'fraschette' (traditional taverns) and the villages of the area, from Nemi to Ariccia, from Castel Gandolfo to Velletri.
Infiorata of Genzano — edition 2026
The theme: «Blooming in Peace»
For the 248th edition, the Master Flower Artists worked on the theme «Blooming in Peace: 80 years of the Italian Republic», expressed through the fifteen panels that climb Via Italo Belardi. The artistic direction was entrusted to Dr. Margherita Pistelli, and the technical direction to Mr. Mauro Previtali.
Four days of celebration
Already on June 11, at Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, the inauguration of the «Open art» exhibition opened the calendar. From the 12th, the 'spelluccamento' began at dawn in the municipal courtyard, along with the sketch exhibition and ground drawings, while the laying of the petals began on the evening of the 13th. The complete carpet remained visible throughout Sunday the 14th and Monday.
The religious and civic heart
On Sunday, June 14, the official inauguration took place at 11:00 AM, followed by the solemn Eucharistic celebration at 6:00 PM and the historic Corpus Domini procession over the entire Infiorata; in the evening, the Genzano City Band concert and fireworks. Monday the 15th featured the historical costume pageant, the traveling concert, and finally the spallamento performed by the children.
Programme Infiorata of Genzano 2026
Thursday, June 11
- 6:00 PM — Palazzo Sforza Cesarini: inauguration of the «Open art» exhibition
Friday, June 12
- 6:00 AM — Municipal Courtyard: flower petal preparation
- 10:00 AM-1:00 PM — Town Hall, Belvedere Room: sketch exhibition
- 7:00 PM — Via Italo Belardi: start of the ground sketches by the Master Flower Artists
- 9:00 PM — Piazza Tommaso Frasconi: concert
Saturday, June 13
- 6:00 AM — Municipal Courtyard: flower petal preparation
- 10:00 AM-7:00 PM — Palazzo Sforza Cesarini: guided tours and exhibitions
- From 10:00 AM — Church of the Most Holy Trinity: creation of the floral carpet
- 5:00 PM-11:00 PM — Sketch exhibition
- 7:00 PM — Via Italo Belardi: start of the petal laying
- 7:00 PM — Piazza Tommaso Frasconi: concert
- 9:00 PM — Piazzale Sforza Cesarini: 29th edition of the «Under the Genzano Sky» fashion show, by designer Filippo La Fontana
Sunday, June 14
- 8:00 AM-7:00 PM — Olmata: market
- 9:00 AM-11:00 PM — Sketch exhibition and cave visits
- 11:00 AM — Official inauguration of the 248th Traditional Infiorata in the presence of civil, military, and religious authorities
- 6:00 PM — Solemn Eucharistic celebration and Corpus Domini procession along the Infiorata
- 9:00 PM — Genzano City Band concert
- 10:00 PM — Fireworks display
Monday, June 15
- 9:00 AM-5:00 PM — Visit to the caves and exhibitions
- 6:00 PM — Historical costume pageant «Back to the land of the Infiorata»
- 6:30 PM — Traveling concert by the Genzano City Band
- 7:00 PM — Spallamento of the Infiorata by the children
Highlights Infiorata of Genzano 2026
- 2026 Theme: «Blooming in Peace: 80 years of the Italian Republic»
- 1,890 sqm of floral carpet on Via Italo Belardi
- 15 panels plus the opening panel and staircase decoration
- Corpus Domini procession on the flowers, Sunday, June 14
- Fireworks display visible from Piazza Tommaso Frasconi
- Spallamento by the children, Monday, June 15 at 7:00 PM
Prices Infiorata of Genzano 2026
Practical information — Infiorata of Genzano
How to get there
By car from Rome: Via Appia Nuova (SS7) or A1 motorway, Valmontone exit, then SP road toward the Castelli Romani. By train: FL4 line Rome Termini–Velletri, Genzano di Roma stop, with a short walk uphill to the center. By bus: Cotral lines from the Anagnina station of Metro A.
Parking and traffic
During the event, the historic center is closed to traffic and central parking is unavailable. The municipality provides external parking areas and shuttle services, announced in the days preceding the event along with public transport diversions.
Tickets
Viewing the Infiorata along Via Italo Belardi is free. Some collateral initiatives, such as guided tours of Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, may require a contribution.
Tips
Bring water and comfortable shoes: the slope is steep and the asphalt gets hot. Do not cross the barriers, as the petals are easily damaged. Glass bottles, unauthorized fireworks, and uncoordinated drones are prohibited. Attendance is very high, especially on Sunday.
Contacts
Municipality of Genzano di Roma, Via Italo Belardi 81, 00045 Genzano di Roma (RM) — tel. +39 06 937111 — [email protected]
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Infiorata of Genzano
Via Italo Belardi
Via Italo Belardi, 00045 Genzano di Roma