June 4th - Anniversary of the Liberation of Rome (Ceremony at Porta San Paolo)

June 4, 1944: Rome is free again

For Rome, June 4th is a date of civic significance even before it is symbolic. On that day in 1944, following nine months of German occupation that began on September 11, 1943, the first Allied units entered the city, and Rome became the first European capital liberated from Nazi-Fascism. Since then, the Municipality of Rome, in the Lazio Region, has celebrated the anniversary every year with an institutional ceremony. Rather than a festive street event, it is a journey of shared memory through the places where the Roman Resistance left its mark.

Porta San Paolo, where it all began

The heart of the commemoration is Porta San Paolo, located by the Aurelian Walls, just a stone's throw from the Pyramid of Cestius. Here, between September 9 and 10, 1943, Roman soldiers and civilians attempted to block the German troops advancing from Via Ostiense: this clash is considered the birth of the Resistance in Rome. In the morning, the Mayor of Rome Capital lays a laurel wreath at the memorial for Italian and foreign soldiers and civilians, in the presence of city authorities, veterans' associations, partisan groups, and the ANPI.

An itinerary through the sites of memory

The day continues with an official tour that crosses the city and its various districts. Recurring stops include:

• Martyrs of Forte Bravetta Park (Via di Bravetta 739), the site of executions during the occupation;
• Historical Museum of the Liberation on Via Tasso, the former prison of the German security police, now a national museum of memory;
• Garibaldino Ossuary Mausoleum on the Janiculum Hill, which links the 1944 Resistance to the defense of the Roman Republic of 1849;
• Commonwealth War Cemetery in Garbatella, where Allied soldiers who fell for the city's liberation rest;
• La Storta and La Giustiniana, with a tribute at the stele on Via Antonio Labranca in memory of the fourteen political prisoners killed along the Via Cassia by retreating Nazi troops, including the trade unionist Bruno Buozzi.

A memory spread throughout the city

Alongside the main ceremony, local districts, schools, the ANPI, and territorial associations organize flower-laying events, readings, meetings with witnesses, and guided tours. The Roman celebrations are now firmly supported by the "Museum of the Resistance" network, which connects Porta San Paolo, the San Saba district, and the Janiculum. Meanwhile, the city's museums offer exhibitions, itineraries, and educational activities dedicated to the history of the occupation and the liberation of the Capital during this period.

Why it is worth attending

For those visiting Rome in early June, attending the June 4th ceremony offers a perspective of the city beyond the typical tourist experience: instead of the Forums or the Colosseum, you encounter the walls, plaques, and courtyards that tell a recent and still-vivid chapter of its history. It is a brief, sober, and free event, open to all, which pairs well with a visit to the Historical Museum of the Liberation or the Ardeatine Caves, just a few kilometers from the center. It is an opportunity to understand how Rome, a millennial city, also preserves the memory of the 20th century.