31 Oct. The ghoulish festival of Halloween, still a slightly foreign concept in Rome, is becoming increasingly popular with younger Italians.

If you are looking for the perfect Halloween costume, masks, make-up and accessories head to Studio 13 on Piazza Cavour, but don’t leave it until the last minute as you will have to queue down the street just to get in.

There are always fancy dress parties on the night of 31 October at many of the city’s expat pubs such as the Abbey Theatre on Via del Governo Vecchio 51, Fiddler’s Elbow on Via dell’Olmata 43, Finnegan’s on Via Leonina 66, and Scholars Lounge on Via del Plebiscito 101/b, as well as at American-style diners such as the Hard Rock Cafe on Via Veneto 62.

Also worth checking out is the Halloween special by Rome’s Comedy Club at Teatro Douze on 28 October. The popular show features a selection of regulars and newcomers who encourage the audience to dress up, with a prize for the best costume.

Kids aged between three and six can look forward to Room on the Broom, a "not too scary" sing-along storytime and colouring activity on 27 October, while for details of fancy dress parties in the city's night clubs see the Halloween Roma website.

As an ancient city, Rome also has some authentically scary sites to check out, such as a spine-chilling visit to Via Veneto’s Capuchin crypt.