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Alexander Meddings
Verified writer
GUIDED TOURFrom €25.00
Seriously Scary Rome Ghost Tour
Autumn is one of the best times to visit Rome. The climate is mild, the crowds are bearable, and the food… well, the food is always fabulous. But as far as spooky festivities go, you might find yourself in for a shock – because Halloween in Rome is not what you might expect.
Do Italians celebrate Halloween?
Halloween is not an Italian tradition per se. But it’s becoming more popular each year, especially with kids and younger generations. Spend a Halloween afternoon in any Italian city and you’ll see trick-and-treating kids in Halloween costumes, running around streets and squares and seeking out candy from restaurants and residences.
Stay out a little later, once the trick-and-treaters (“dolcetto o scherzetto” as they say in Italy) have gone to bed, and you might see a smattering of spookily-clad twenty and thirty-somethings heading out to Halloween parties at their favourite bars or nightclubs.
But many traditions we associate with Halloween, like Jack-o’-lanterns and bonfires, are alien to Italians, and replicating either will raise eyebrows or get you arrested. Many Italian cinemas will screen subtitled horror films to coincide with the Halloween season. But this is mainly because of the influence of Hollywood, not because of any deep-rooted Italian tradition.
Italians do celebrate the Christian holiday of All Saints Day on November 1st. And since most people don’t have to get up early for work the next day, a fair few go out on the night of October 31st. Catholics also observe All Souls Day on November 2nd, especially in South America. But the only European country to celebrate it as a public holiday is, curiously, Lithuania.
Does Halloween have roots in ancient Rome?
According to one compelling theory, All Saints Day (also known as All Hallows’ Day) represents the Christianisation of the ancient Roman Lemuria festival. The Romans would celebrate the Lemuria every year to exorcise the malevolent souls of the dead from their homes. This may have been inspired by the earlier Remuria festival, instituted by Rome’s first king Romulus in an attempt to appease the angry spirit of his slain twin Remus.
What to do for Halloween in Rome
If you’re lucky enough to be in Rome for Halloween, here are some ideas to add some spook to your itinerary.
Visit the “bone church” of the Capuchin monks
Situated on the Via Veneto, not far from the Spanish Steps, the Convent of the Capuchin Monks is home to one of the most disturbing displays in Rome: a crypt decorated with the bones of its former friars. Warning: this place is not for the faint-hearted. Within the six rooms running along its 30-metre corridor, you’ll find the osseous remains of more than 3,700 deceased monks — a sinister scene that is bound to stay with you.
The museum and crypt are open daily from 10 am – 7 pm. Tickets cost €10 for adults — with reduced-price tickets (€6.50) available for children, students under 25, people over 65, and clerics — and can be purchased online or directly at the convent.
Scare yourself silly on a Rome Ghost Tour
Rome after dark is a ghosting hotspot — and we’re not talking about the kind that happened to you on Tinder 👀 Visit the Eternal City’s most paranormal places and hear terrifying tales of ghosts, executions, and murders most foul.
Oh, and enjoy a 20% discount when you insert the promo code GHOST20 at checkout
Trick Treat yourself to a Tipsy Tour
Nothing is scarier than the prospect of drinking alone on a night out in Rome. Join a Tipsy Tour through the historic centre and try traditional Italian drinks with a group of fun, like-minded travellers.
After the tour, check out the Roman nightlife, and get down and ghastly with your ghoul squad.
Descend into the dark depths of Rome’s catacombs
Did you know that Rome is surrounded by an underground network of burial grounds, which housed Rome’s dead for several centuries? Experts believe that at least 40 catacombs run underground outside Rome’s city walls, only a few of which have been discovered. And visiting any of them on a guided tour is a ghastly experience worthy of Halloween in Rome.
The best place to visit Rome’s catacombs is on the Appian Way (Via Appia). Here, on this ancient consular road running southeast of the city, you’ll find the entrances to the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, and the Catacombs of Domitilla.
Hire a car, and drive around the city
Because nothing is scarier than driving around Rome 💀
But seriously. Don’t rent a car. But do check out our guide to getting around Rome.
Face your fears… of being terrible in the kitchen
Nothing terrifies Italians like pineapple on a pizza or cream in a carbonara. (Except perhaps for gun crime, but that’s not really a big thing here). Stop committing crimes against Italian cuisine by joining an immersive and indulgent cooking class in Rome. Create two Italian classics on our Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class or get tipsy in the kitchen on our unique Spritz & Spaghetti Cooking Class — both right in the heart of Rome.
Alexander Meddings is a professional copywriter and postgraduate in Roman history from the University of Oxford. After graduating with his MPhil, he moved to Florence and then Rome to carry out his research on the ground and pursue his passion at the source. He now works in travel, as a writer and content consultant, and in education as a university lecturer and translator.
