Highlight is Frecce Tricolori aeronautical display. 

The 69th Festa della Repubblica celebrations marking Italy’s national day take place in Rome on Tuesday 2 June.

The annual public holiday is held in commemoration of the day in 1946 when Italians voted in favour of a republic and against the monarchy which had been discredited during world war two.

The ceremonies begin on 1 June, the day before the main event, with the solemn changing of the guard at the Quirinale palace at 15.30.

The day itself commences at 09.15 when President Mattarella lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Piazza Venezia, followed by a major military parade comprising thousands of members of the state’s army, navy, police forces and the foresty corp, along Via dei Fori Imperiali from 10.00-11.00.

A highlight of the parade is the Frecce Tricolori, a popular aeronautical display featuring a series of fighter jets flying in formation over the Colosseum, emitting plumes of the three colours from the Italian flag.

Rehearsals and preparations for the military parade begin on 29 May with traffic disruption and bus diversions in the general area from 23.00 until 05.00 the next morning.

On the day of the parade Via dei Fori Imperiali is normally closed from 05.00 until around 20.00 with numerous traffic diversions in place, as well as the likely closure of the Metro Colosseo station.

Events on 2 June generally result in the closure of archaeological sites such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trajan’s Markets, and the Altare della Patria, however the Quirinale gardens are open to the public free of charge from 15.00-19.00.

For full details on event see the special Festa della Repubblica website while for more on the transport situation see Muoversi a Roma.