Piazza dei Navigatori Carnival

A Carnival born from the neighborhood

The Piazza dei Navigatori Carnival is not an institutional event imposed from above: it is a grassroots festival created by the Piazza dei Navigatori and Surroundings Neighborhood Committee, an association of residents that has enlivened the civic life of this corner of Rome's Municipio VIII, in the Lazio region, for years. The parade takes place on Shrove Tuesday, the final day of Carnival, and transforms the streets of the Tor Marancia district for an afternoon into a masked procession of children, parents, and grandparents.

The initiative is held under the patronage of Municipio VIII and is part of the broader calendar of Carnival festivities that the municipality promotes every year across Garbatella, Montagnola, San Paolo, Grotta Perfetta, and Roma 70. Compared to the morning school parades, the Navigatori event has a unique character: it is a singing parade, meaning a procession that moves while singing.

The «Il Canto dei Navigatori» Choir

The distinctive feature of the event is the participation of the «Il Canto dei Navigatori» Choir, which was formed within the neighborhood committee. Throughout the route, the choir members perform Carnival-themed songs, involving those who join along the way: there is no audience separated from the artists, as anyone can join in the singing and the procession. It is a simple and participatory formula that has made the event recognizable and highly anticipated by residents.

The route

The parade departs from the Piazza dei Navigatori gardens, the green space at the center of the square, which is currently the focus of a vast urban redevelopment project alongside the former Rome Fair area. From there, the procession winds through the streets of the Tor Marancia district, arriving at the The Garden bistro bar, where the day concludes with a party featuring music and entertainment activities for children.

A free, family-friendly event

• Free and open participation, no registration or tickets required
• Open to families of all ages: dressing up is encouraged but not mandatory
• Walking procession, with a slow pace suitable for children
• Final party with music and entertainment

The context: the Roman Carnival

In Rome, Carnival has an ancient history, linked to the Berber horse races along Via del Corso and the Renaissance and Baroque masquerades celebrated by travelers and writers. After a long 20th-century silence, the festival has returned to life, especially in the form of neighborhood carnivals: small, self-produced parades supported by municipalities and local networks, which restore a sense of community to the districts. The Piazza dei Navigatori Carnival belongs fully to this new season: no monumental floats, but confetti, homemade masks, and voices singing together.

Why it is worth attending

For those visiting Rome in winter, the Navigatori parade is an opportunity to see a side of the city that guidebooks rarely mention: the working-class neighborhood that organizes itself, just a stone's throw from Garbatella and Via Cristoforo Colombo, in an area undergoing major urban transformation. For those who live there, it is the moment when the square returns to being what it should always be: a meeting place.