Rome Carnival between history and tradition

After attending and loving Venice Carnival, this year’s Mardi Gras I decided to follow the parade organized for the carnival in Rome, a city where I lived for almost ten years and where I ignored they even had such a ceremony for this festival.

Probably for its past papacy reign that ruled Rome for centuries the carnival remained hidden in the populace private spaces or barely permitted by the ruling clergy as diversion and quick distraction before repenting during Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras.

Rome Carnival puts on display what the eternal city is most proud of, its own history, and this year during the march that took place downtown from central Piazza del Popolo along Via Ripetta and Via del Corso, historic costumes dating back to different eras, social classes, traditions and professions paraded guarded by horse-riding military orders.

Needless to say, just like every other event in Rome, it was spectacular and extremely fascinating to reminisce the city’s thousand-year-old history through costumes, historical flags and ebullient drum rolls.

Below are more of my shots taken today at the beautiful Rome Carnival parade.