Highlight of national celebrations is Frecce Tricolori aeronautical display in Rome.

The 72nd celebration of the Festa della Repubblica marking Italy’s national day takes place in Rome and across Italy on Saturday 2 June, resulting in the closure of public offices and many businesses.

The 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.

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

At 09.15 on 2 June Italy's president Sergio Mattarella will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Piazza Venezia. This is followed at 10.00 by an inspection of the major military parade comprising thousands of members of the state’s army, navy, police forces and the foresty corp, taking place along Via dei Fori Imperiali.

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.

Another annual novelty on 2 June is the opening of the gardens at Palazzo Quirinale, free of charge, from 15.00-19.00.

On the day of the parade, streets in the vicinity of the Colosseum and Campidoglio are normally closed, with traffic restrictions beginning the night before. The Colosseo and Circo Massimo stations on the Metro B line are also usually closed on 2 June.

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

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