Holy Week in Italy feels entirely different from a standard spring city break. The best Easter destinations in Italy see town squares lit by candlelight processions, church bells carried across medieval streets, and cities taking on a theatrical edge. It’s not only a religious occasion. Many non-religious Italians embrace the long weekend, using it as a reason to gather outdoors and enjoy the first real stretch of spring.
If you want scale and spectacle, Rome delivers. St Peter’s Square becomes the focal point of global Catholic celebrations. On Good Friday evening, the Pope leads the Via Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, beside the Colosseum. The ancient amphitheatre lit against the night sky, with thousands gathered in silence.
