ROME– What do get when you mix a rugby match and a marathon with the patron saint of Ireland and an Argentine Pope? Endless eternal city traffic jams, for sure. Holy chaos? Well, we’ll see.
Here is the once-in-a-lifetime agenda for Rome this Sunday.
MARATHON
There are an estimated 100,000 people — including 14,000 runners — who will come to the city to partake in the Rome Marathon, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The route is set to start and end near the Colosseum, closing off many roads. Unlike other years, runners will not pass by St. Peter’s. (see below!)
BIG SOCCER MATCH
The AS Roma soccer club will play Parma in a Serie A in an evening clash at the Olympic Stadium.
Irish Invasion
Meanwhile, squeezed between the marathon and the soccer match will be a major rugby contest: Italy hosts Ireland in an afternoon Six Nations showdown at the same Olympic Stadium. Oh, did we mention Sunday also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day?
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SUPRISE ADDITION
City planners in Rome were already bracing for all the above activity when the date for the papal conclave was set. Now that Pope Francis has been elected, it’s expected he will say the Angelus on Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Square. His first official public appearance will draw huge crowds. But, at least the cardinals didn’t choose an Irish pope — then things might have gotten really rowdy!
