Rose petals at Pentecost

What is the rose petal shower at the Pantheon?

At the end of the Pentecost celebration, the Vigili del Fuoco throw thousands of red rose petals from the oculus, which cover the basilica floor.

The Pantheon has been a church since 13 May 609, the Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres, and Pentecost is one of its feasts. Wikipedia in Italian calls it the «traditional rain of petals dropped from the oculus on the occasion of the solemnity of Pentecost».

Rome's tourist website, Turismo Roma, adds two details: for the first Christians of Rome, roses represented the Holy Spirit, and the red petals end up colouring the entire basilica floor. The oculus from which they fall measures about 9 metres, i.e. 30 Roman feet.

When is Pentecost 2027?

Sunday 16 May 2027, seven weeks after Easter, which in 2027 falls on 28 March.

The date changes every year because it follows Easter. For 2024 and 2025 the programme was released on Turismo Roma, the city's tourist site. For 2027 there is nothing yet, and we will not write a petal time until an official source publishes it.

One thing we know: the Sunday Mass at the Pantheon, at the usual time, is at 10:30.

How do you enter on Pentecost day?

As a worshipper, at Mass: entry to services is free and until maximum capacity. During services, tourist visits are not allowed.

The rules of each celebration apply here too. Ticket sales stop one hour before, during Mass «entry will be free and for worship only», and the basilica states that tourist visits are not permitted during services. None of the options on this site include the Pentecost Mass.

In 2024 and 2025 Turismo Roma asked the faithful to arrive at 9:00, with entry allowed until maximum capacity. If you want a place inside, arrive by 9:00. Covered shoulders and no clothing that is too short, as every day.

What to see under the oculus on other days?

The largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, 43.3 metres high at the oculus as it is wide, and Raphael's tomb.

For the rest of the year, the oculus lets in light and rain. The water disappears through the holes in the floor, which Turismo Roma counts as 22. Around the rotunda are the burials of Raphael, with the inscription «Ossa et cineres», Annibale Carracci, and Arcangelo Corelli, and the tombs of kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I and Queen Margherita.

The full tour, niche by niche, is in the guide to what to see in the Pantheon. The history, from Agrippa to Hadrian, is in the history of the Pantheon.

A small group, a live guide under the dome and the ticket included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.9 · 50 min - 1 hour · from $33

Discover the small group tour → Tour details

How to plan the Pentecost 2027 weekend in Rome?

On Saturday 15 May there is the prefestive Mass at 17:00. On Sunday 16, Mass follows the usual time of 10:30. For the tourist visit, you need time slots outside the services.

May 2027 tickets on Musei Italiani go on sale in mid-April, as every month. Sunday 16 May is not a first Sunday: the first in May is the 2nd, so that day the full-price ticket costs €7.

Opening hours may change for religious celebrations. Recheck the official page in the week before.

Frequent questions