Thousands of pilgrims will join Pope Benedict XVI at the Colosseum on Good Friday 10 April for the traditional Via Crucis procession from 21.00 to 23.30. A suggestive ceremony, the event ordinarily draws large crowds.

Between 20.30 and 24.00, Via di S. Gregorio and Via dei Fori Imperiali (between the Colosseum and Via Cavour) will be closed to traffic

For security reasons, the Colosseum metro station will be closed from 18.30 until the celebrations have ended.

Starting from 19.00, 13 bus lines that go past the Colosseum will be rerouted. For more information see www.atac.roma.it or tel. 0657003.

There will also be a Via Crucis procession in the S. Lorenzo area organised by neighbourhood churches starting from the church of S. Ippolito in Viale delle Provincie (Piazza Bologna).

On Saturday 11 April, the Pope will celebrate the Easter vigil at St Peter's basilica at 21.00. The following day he will preside at the traditional Easter Mass in St Peter's Square at 10.15 and his give the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the main loggia afterwards.