There is almost no time in which a trip to Rome won’t be a rewarding and fascinating experience as there is simply so much to see and do in this grand city. At different times throughout the year, however, a vacation rental in Rome and time in the city means that you will also be able to enjoy some specific celebrations, seasonal experiences, or special events. From the intense Christmas celebrations in this hub of Catholicism, to the wonders of the blooming gardens of the historic palaces in spring, to the thrills of the Italian Open for tennis nerds planning a visit in May, to Roma Jazz Festival in October, there are all sorts of unique offerings throughout the year.
However, the 15th of March, known as the Ides of March, has long been a particularly significant day in Rome. It was often a time around which new year ceremonies would take place, was sacred to their supreme deity, Jupiter, was the beginning of a holy week in the later Imperial period, and more. However, it became cemented in popular imagination from antiquity all the way to the current day when, on the 15th of March in 44BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated on that very day.
The story behind the incident is infamous and has inspired many great works of art. As the tale goes, a seer had warned Caesar that he would be harmed on the Ides of March. On that day, as he made his way to the Theatre of Pompey, he passed the seer who had foretold his doom and said, “Well, the Ides of March are come,” joking that this disaster had not harmed him. In response, the seer is said to have retorted, “Aye, they are come, but they are not gone." That very day, led by Brutus and Cassius, up to 60 conspirators stabbed Caesar to death at a Senate meeting, fulfilling the prophesy. After this incident, civil war and unrest descended upon the Roman Republic. Dramatised famously by Shakespeare in his play, Julius Caesar, Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to "beware the Ides of March," which permanently placed the phrase into the common vernacular. Since the Bard’s use, the Ides of March has been the name of novels, a band, songs, a film, and an album.
For those who book a villa in Rome today and plan a trip to the city in March, this incident and date continues to live on and have significance. Now, each year on the 15th of March, the anniversary of Julius Caesar’s death is commemorated with a period re-enactment in full costume. Dozens of actors and actresses act out scenes of the plotting of the assassination and act itself in the Largo di Torre Argentina, an archaeological site discovered in the 1920s in the city centre of Rome. The site itself doesn’t look like much at first glance but is the spot where various buildings once stood throughout history, including the entrance to the Theatre of Pompey, where the Senate gathered on that fateful day.
The story is interpreted and reconstructed by the Roman Historical Group in Italian and usually kicks of at 2pm at the Largo di Torre Argentina before continuing through via dei Fori Imperiali and finishing inside the Roman Forum, by the Temple of the Divine Julius Caesar, with a recreation of the funeral of Caesar and Marc Anthony’s famous speech that inspired Shakespeare to write his play. You can attend for free but to enjoy it through to the end, you will need to purchase a ticket to enter the Forum.
A serious spectacle and an incredible insight into the history of this fascinating city, this performance is a must-see for history buffs and visitors who book a vacation rental in Rome and find themselves in the area on the 15th of March. There are always so many things to see and do – museums and galleries to visit, archaeological sites to explore, landmarks to tick off bucket lists, and more – in Rome but we highly recommend making time for some of the seasonal events and celebrations and attractions that are on offer as well!
