Spring Festival at the Testaccio Market (Testaccio Market Open)

A market that is more than just a market

In the Testaccio district, just a few hundred meters from the Tiber and the former Mattatoio, the New Testaccio Market is much more than a place to shop: it is the social heart of a neighborhood that has shaped the popular history of Rome, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in Lazio. Since 2012, the market has occupied its contemporary structure between Via Aldo Manuzio, Via Alessandro Volta, Via Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Via Beniamino Franklin, and has since chosen to open up to the city with a program of themed days under the name Testaccio Market Open.

The Spring Festival

Among these events, the Spring Festival is the one that fills the market aisles the most. It takes place on a Saturday, between the end of March and the second half of April, and features a special opening that runs from the first light of dawn until midnight. The day combines the flavors and scents of the new season—spring vegetables from the stalls, artichokes, strawberries, herbs—with a schedule of music, workshops, and tours that changes from year to year.

The Testaccio Market Open cycle

The Spring Festival is not an isolated event but part of a season that accompanies the neighborhood for most of the year. Recurring events include:

• Opening Festival — the inaugural day in March that kicks off the season;
• Spring Festival — the April event, with live music and archaeological tours;
• Insieme (Together) — the June day dedicated to the community, with free activities for all ages focused on health, music, workshops, personal care, and urban walks;
• Summer Vibes — summer evenings with DJ sets;
• Ottobrata Testaccina — the autumn festival with tastings and samplings of history;
• Halloween and the season-ending Finalone.

Music, showcooking, and archaeology

The format is well-established: showcooking by market vendors, tastings, educational workshops for children, acoustic concerts, and long DJ sets that accompany the evening. The most unique element, however, remains the visit to the archaeological excavations. Beneath the market floor, protected by glass walkways, are the remains of a section of an imperial-era paved road and buildings linked to the trade of amphorae that arrived at the Emporium, the river port that gave rise to the nearby Monte dei Cocci. During the Open days, the archaeological area is opened with free guided tours by reservation, usually in evening shifts.

The surrounding neighborhood

Participating in the Spring Festival is also a great excuse to discover Testaccio: the Monte Testaccio, an artificial hill formed by millions of fragments of Roman amphorae; the Non-Catholic Cemetery with the tombs of Keats and Shelley; the Pyramid of Cestius; and the Mattatoio, now the exhibition venue of the MACRO. It is the district of the most authentic Roman cuisine—oxtail stew, tripe, coratella—and it is no coincidence that the market stalls and the street food kiosks inside have become a recognized gastronomic stop in the city.

A free event for everyone

Admission to the Open days is free and open to all: you only pay for what you buy at the stalls. It is a family-friendly event, with large, covered spaces that make it accessible even in case of rain, and with an audience that mixes local residents, Romans from other districts, and curious travelers.