All Saints in Rome and November 2: Verano and fave, the essentials

Published on October 22, 2026 · updated on October 25, 2026

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All Saints in Rome is lived over two back-to-back days: November 1, the feast of All Saints and a public holiday, and November 2, the Commemoration of the Dead, when Romans go to the Verano, the Flaminio, the Laurentino and the neighborhood cemeteries with flowers and candles. In between are the sweets, starting with the fave dei morti, and a heritage of monumental cemeteries that can be visited all year but that between late October and early November have a different light.

In these lines you’ll find the true history of the two observances, which is more Roman than you’d think, the places to go with the official hours, the mistakes to avoid and, at the end, a few ideas to buy in time: candles, flowers that last, books of recipes and legends, and something for anyone celebrating Halloween on the night of October 31.

Data checked on October 3, 2026 on the Roma Capitale website dedicated to the Cimiteri Capitolini, on the official website of the Non-Catholic Cemetery, on the Latin text of Ovid’s Fasti and on the main encyclopedia entries on the two feasts. Hours can change because of weather alerts or the operator’s decision: before heading out, it’s always worth a last-minute check.

All Saints in Rome at a glance

• What: All Saints, on November 1, is the Catholic feast of All Saints. November 2 is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, a day for visiting cemeteries.
• When: November 1 is a national holiday in Italy, while November 2 is a working day, with Rome’s cemeteries open and very busy.
• Where: the Verano Monumental Cemetery, at Piazzale del Verano 1 in the San Lorenzo district, and the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Testaccio, next to the Pyramid of Cestius, are the two most visited historic cemeteries in Rome.
• Hours: from October 1 to March 31 the Verano opens from 07:30 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00, and entry is free, according to the Cimiteri Capitolini.
• Non-Catholic: the Non-Catholic Cemetery opens Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays and holidays from 09:00 to 13:00, with a suggested voluntary contribution.
• To eat: the fave dei morti are small almond cookies typical of the first days of November, tied to an ancient symbolism of the fava bean as food of the dead.
• Good to know: the date of November 1 doesn’t come from the consecration of the Pantheon, which took place on a May 13, but from a choice by Pope Gregory III and a decree of 835.

Where does All Saints come from and why is it felt more in Rome?

The history of All Saints passes through Rome more than once. In 609 or 610 Pope Boniface IV turned the Pantheon into a church, dedicating it to St. Mary and all the martyrs: the “Dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres” was celebrated on May 13. A century later Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated inside the old St. Peter’s Basilica an oratory dedicated to all the saints, and chose November 1. In 835 Pope Gregory IV obtained from the Frankish king Louis the Pious that this date become a holy day of obligation throughout the kingdom.

November 2 instead has roots outside Rome. In 998 Odilo, abbot of Cluny, established for all the Cluniac monasteries that the day after All Saints the memory of all the dead be celebrated, with Masses, psalms and alms. The network of monasteries dependent on Cluny spread the custom through half of Europe, and from there the Western Church made it its own. The two feasts, one for the saints and one for everyone else, were therefore born almost two centuries apart and only fused in the calendar afterward.

The most common mistake about the Pantheon

You often read that All Saints falls on November 1 because on that day the Pantheon was dedicated to the martyrs. That’s not so, and in our opinion it’s the most repeated legend about this feast: the dedication of the Pantheon fell on May 13, and for over a century the memory of all the martyrs was celebrated in spring. The link between the Pantheon and All Saints exists, because it’s the first Roman church dedicated to a multitude of saints, but the November date comes from St. Peter’s and the Franks.

Why do people in Rome eat fave dei morti?

The fave dei morti you find in Roman bakeries in late October are small cookies of almond paste, sugar and egg white, sometimes colored pink or brown with cocoa, shaped like a fava bean. They belong to the big family of sweets of the dead, found in almost all of Italy under different names. The shape is no accident: the fava bean, in the ancient world, was a legume tied to the dead, and the memory of that link survived in names much longer than the rites did.

The clearest text is by Ovid. In the Fasti, book V, the poet tells of the Lemuria, the days in May when the head of the household drove the spirits of the dead out of the house. At midnight, after washing his hands with spring water, he takes black beans, throws them behind him without turning and says: «haec ego mitto, his redimo meque meosque fabis», that is, “these I throw, with these beans I ransom myself and my family.” The rite was repeated nine times. From the black beans of the Lemuria to the almond fave of the bakeries of Trastevere is a long road, but the symbol is the same.

The advice is to buy them at a neighborhood bakery and not packaged: they keep for only a few days, and the best part is the thin crust with the soft inside. Anyone who wants to try them at home will find the recipe in many cookbooks of regional sweets, which we list further down. Alongside the fave, in the days of All Saints in Rome you also see roasted chestnuts, the first Roman broccoli and, in many families, a richer dinner than usual on the evening of November 1.

Where to go for All Saints in Rome: the Verano and the monumental cemeteries

The symbolic place of the days of All Saints in Rome is the Verano Monumental Cemetery, in San Lorenzo. It came about after Napoleon’s Edict of Saint-Cloud of 1804, which required burials outside cities. The works, to a design by Giuseppe Valadier, began in 1811 and stopped in 1814 with the return of the papal government. They resumed in the 1830s under Gregory XVI, pushed by the cholera of 1837, and under Pius IX Virginio Vespignani designed the monumental entrance with the quadriportico.

At the main entrance, the three arches are topped by four marble statues representing Meditation, Hope, Charity and Silence. On July 19, 1943 the Allied bombing of San Lorenzo also hit the cemetery: the quadriportico was rebuilt in 1947. Today the Verano covers about 83 hectares and is one of the largest cemeteries in Italy, a city within the city with neo-Gothic chapels, Liberty-style sculptures, military fields and the Pincetto, the plateau where many artists rest.

Among the tombs visitors look for most often are those of Alberto Sordi, Vittorio De Sica, Marcello Mastroianni, Roberto Rossellini and the poet Trilussa, who rests along the Caracciolo ramp. At the entrance you find the map, and the same map in PDF is published on the website of the Cimiteri Capitolini of Roma Capitale. There are three entrances: Piazzale del Verano, the most scenic, Via Tiburtina and Via del Verano.

The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Testaccio

The second address is the Non-Catholic Cemetery of Rome, under the Aurelian Walls and next to the Pyramid of Cestius. The first burials of non-Catholics date to 1716. Today it has more than 6,000 graves of more than 50 denominations and almost 60 countries. Here lie John Keats, with the epitaph «Here lies one whose name was writ in water», Percy Bysshe Shelley, Antonio Gramsci, Gregory Corso and Andrea Camilleri. The Angel of Grief sculpted by William Wetmore Story in 1894 is perhaps the most photographed funerary sculpture in Rome.

The official website of the Non-Catholic Cemetery gives opening hours Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30, and Sundays and holidays from 09:00 to 13:00, with last entry at 12:30. On November 1, then, the holiday hours apply. There’s no ticket: a voluntary contribution of €5 per person is suggested, which goes to maintenance. Remember it’s a private cemetery and still active, and that photos are allowed only for personal use.

Churches and crypts for the days of the dead

For anyone looking for the most Baroque side of the cult of the dead, the map of Rome offers two famous stops. The Capuchin Crypt, under the church of Santa Maria della Concezione on Via Veneto, has chapels decorated with the friars’ bones. The church of Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte, on Via Giulia, belonged to a confraternity that collected the bodies of unknown people to give them burial. Hours and tickets are on the operator’s website. Other churches and works to see are collected in the sacred art section of Estate Romana.

How is All Saints lived in Rome today?

November 1 is a real holiday: offices closed, many shops open, solemn Masses in the basilicas and, in many families, lunch together. The evening before, October 31, the streets of San Lorenzo, Pigneto and Testaccio fill with kids in costume for Halloween, a feast that came from the English-speaking countries and has now entered Roman habits, especially among the youngest. The two coexist without big problems.

On November 2 the tone changes. It’s a working day, but the cemeteries fill up from the morning: florists in front of the entrances, lines of cars, families bringing chrysanthemums and candles. In parishes and cemeteries Masses are celebrated for the dead, and the year’s program of celebrations is published by the Diocese and the operator close to the date. It’s not worth trusting what you read online for past years.

What mistakes should you avoid in the days of All Saints in Rome?

The first mistake is going to the Verano by car on November 2 in mid-morning. Access with a private vehicle has limited hours, from 08:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 17:00 in the winter schedule, and on the days of the dead the nearby parking is full. Better to use public transport: the Verano is served by the trams and buses that pass through Piazzale del Verano and Via Tiburtina, and Termini station isn’t far. Lines and frequencies are on the Atac website.

The second is arriving late. From October the Verano closes at 18:00 and the last entry is at 17:00, while the Non-Catholic Cemetery on Sundays and on November 1 closes at 13:00. With darkness coming early, the afternoon of All Saints in Rome is short. If you want to do both cemeteries, start in Testaccio in the morning and move to San Lorenzo after lunch.

The third concerns candles. In many cemeteries open-flame candles are discouraged or banned in some areas for safety reasons, and the November wind blows them out in a few minutes. LED candles and lanterns, with long-life batteries, are the most practical solution and the most used. The same goes for flowers: real chrysanthemums last, but anyone who can’t come back often chooses quality artificial arrangements.

The last mistake, in our opinion, is thinking the days of the dead are only sad. In Rome they’re also the time when families get together, tell stories about grandparents and great-grandparents and eat together. Visiting a monumental cemetery means reading the history of the city through names, trades and dates: from the epidemics of the 19th century to the bombings of 1943, everything is written in stone.

All Saints in Rome with kids, as a couple or with a group of friends

With kids, the Verano works better than you’d think: the avenues are wide, the sculptures of animals and angels are intriguing, and the hunt for the graves of famous people can become a game. It’s best to avoid November 2, though, when the crowd and the mood of mourning make everything harder. On the evening of October 31, on the other hand, many neighborhoods organize parties and workshops for Halloween. The city’s events calendar is on the Estate Romana page all events.

As a couple, the Non-Catholic Cemetery in the morning and lunch in Testaccio are the most successful combination. The neighborhood is full of historic trattorias and the covered market. To choose where to sit you can consult the Estate Romana restaurant map and book on TheFork, which for November 1 is best used a few days ahead. You can close the afternoon at the Pantheon, to go back to the Roman origin of All Saints.

With a group of friends, or with an extended family coming from out of town, the logistics grow: different cemetery hours, churches with limited entry, a holiday lunch to book, trains to coordinate. Anyone arriving by train from other cities can compare schedules and fares on Trainline. The All Saints long weekend is one of the periods when seats run out first.

How to get organized and when to order for All Saints in Rome?

If you’re reading this a week before All Saints, there’s still time but none to spare. LED candles, artificial flowers and books should be ordered right away: what counts is the estimated delivery date at the time of the order, which Amazon shows before payment. If you’re traveling, you can have things shipped to the hotel, but first ask the front desk if it accepts packages for guests and write in the address the name you booked under. Alternatively, many orders can be picked up at a pickup point near the hotel.

For visits to limited-capacity places, like the Capuchin Crypt, the November 1 long weekend is a time of heavy demand. Tickets are booked online on Tiqets or on platforms like GetYourGuide, where you also find themed routes through underground Rome. Lunch on November 1 should be booked at least a few days ahead, especially in the center.

Anyone traveling in a group, if it’s a gang of friends, a large family, a corporate trip, a bachelor party or wedding guests, can rely on Tour Leader Pro, among the best tour operators and boutique agencies in Rome. The company designs tailor-made tours with tour leaders who handle the group’s logistics and, for the explanations inside sites like the Verano, the Pantheon or the Baroque churches, relies on licensed tour guides, professionals selected for each theme.

How much time do you need? For the Verano count at least two hours, which become half a day if you want to look for the famous tombs of the Pincetto. The Non-Catholic Cemetery takes an hour, an hour and a half. The Capuchin Crypt can be visited in under an hour, but with the line it may take longer. A complete All Saints in Rome itinerary, with two cemeteries, a church and a lunch, takes up a whole day, without rushing.

If it rains

Between late October and early November rain is frequent in Rome. In the cemeteries the water makes the stone avenues and the stairways of the Pincetto slippery: you need shoes with a sole that grips and a sturdy umbrella. If the weather is bad, move the outdoor part and dedicate the morning to the churches, from the Pantheon to Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte, and to the museums. The Non-Catholic Cemetery, besides, may close at short notice in case of a weather alert.

What to buy for All Saints in Rome: our ideas

Below you’ll find ideas divided by use. For each category there are several alternatives, because in the days before All Saints many items sell out: if the first isn’t available, move on to the next. We don’t list prices, which change often.

For the grave: candles, lanterns and flowers

• LED cemetery lanterns: they withstand wind and rain and leave no wax on the marble.
• LED votive candles: the alternative to the traditional candle, useful where open flame is discouraged.
• Long-life LED candles: designed to stay lit for weeks, useful if you don’t come back often.
• Artificial chrysanthemums: the traditional flower of the dead, in a version that doesn’t wilt.
• Cemetery flower arrangements: ready-made for a vase or a headstone, when time is short.

To read and to cook

• Books with the recipe for fave dei morti: to make the almond cookies of the Roman bakeries at home.
• Cookbooks of Italian regional sweets: with the variations of sweets of the dead from north to south.
• Books of Roman legends: ghosts, restless souls and stories to tell on the evening of October 31.
• Ovid, Fasti: to read with your own eyes the rite of the black beans of the Lemuria.
• Books on the cemeteries of Rome: to prepare for the visit to the Verano and the Non-Catholic Cemetery.

For Halloween night

• Halloween costumes for adults: for the October 31 parties in San Lorenzo and Pigneto.
• Halloween costumes for kids: for trick-or-treating around the apartment building.
• Halloween makeup kits: when there’s no costume, a pale face and two dark circles are enough.
• Vintage LED lanterns: for the table at the All Saints dinner or for the balcony.

For going out and getting around

• Compact windproof umbrellas: November in Rome often brings sudden downpours.
• Waterproof walking shoes: for the stone avenues of the Verano, slippery in the rain.
• Tickets for Rome attractions on Tiqets: museums and sites to book for the holiday days.
• Experiences in Rome on GetYourGuide: routes through underground Rome, the catacombs and the churches.
• Pantheon entry on Tiqets: to end the tour where the story of All Saints began.

Frequently asked questions

Are Rome’s cemeteries open on November 1?

Yes, on November 1 the Capitoline cemeteries are open. The Verano, from October to March, opens from 07:30 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00. The Non-Catholic Cemetery, since it’s a holiday, follows the Sunday schedule, from 09:00 to 13:00. For any changes tied to ceremonies or weather alerts, the official websites of the two operators are the authority.

Do you pay to enter the Verano?

No, entry to the Verano Monumental Cemetery is free. You enter from Piazzale del Verano, from Via Tiburtina or from Via del Verano. Inside there’s a map with the sections and the names of the illustrious tombs, also published online on the Cimiteri Capitolini website. Access by car is possible only at certain hours and is discouraged on the days of the dead.

What’s the difference between All Saints and the day of the dead?

All Saints, on November 1, celebrates all the saints, even those without a day of their own in the calendar. November 2 is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, introduced in 998 by Abbot Odilo of Cluny for his monasteries and then extended to the whole Western Church. Only November 1 is a national holiday in Italy. On November 2 people work.

What are fave dei morti?

Fave dei morti are almond paste cookies shaped like a fava bean, typical of Rome and other regions in the days of All Saints. The name recalls the ancient link between the fava bean and the dead: in the Fasti, Ovid tells that during the Lemuria the head of the household threw black beans to drive the spirits from the house.

Who is buried in the Non-Catholic Cemetery of Rome?

In the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Testaccio rest, among others, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Antonio Gramsci, the Beat poet Gregory Corso and the writer Andrea Camilleri. In all there are more than 6,000 burials, of more than 50 religious denominations. The most photographed grave is that of the Story family, with the Angel of Grief sculpted in 1894.

Is it respectful to visit a cemetery as a tourist on the days of the dead?

Yes, as long as you do it with discretion. In the days of All Saints in Rome the cemeteries are full of grieving families: speak in a low voice, don’t photograph people and don’t sit on the graves. If your interest is mainly artistic, the advice is to pick a weekday in the week before or after, when the avenues are quiet.

Is Halloween celebrated in Rome?

Yes, especially among young people and families with kids. On the evening of October 31 venues and clubs in neighborhoods like San Lorenzo, Pigneto and Testaccio organize costume parties, and in apartment buildings kids go trick-or-treating. Halloween doesn’t replace Roman traditions: the next day it’s back to All Saints and cemetery visits.

Who wrote this and from what sources

The text comes from the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, the Rome-based company that designs itineraries, tours and cultural events across Rome and Lazio. Hours, history and burials come from the official websites of the Cimiteri Capitolini and the Non-Catholic Cemetery, from the Latin text of Ovid’s Fasti and from the encyclopedia entries on All Saints and the Commemoration of the Dead, consulted as of the date shown at the top. Let us know what you find has changed.

Organizing the days of All Saints in Rome for a group of friends or an extended family means fitting together holiday hours, early closures, lunches to book and trips between distant neighborhoods. A useful resource for anyone organizing group trips is Tour Leader Pro. If the long weekend becomes a chance to see Lazio too, from the villages of the Castelli Romani to Tuscia, a useful resource for putting together a multi-day itinerary is Italy Planner.