Aussie life in Rome: community, footy and Anzac Day

There's no Little Australia in Rome, and that's part of the charm. Aussies here are spread through the city, but the links between Australia and Italy run deep, and the community shows up when it counts.

The short version

More than 1.1 million people in Australia reported Italian ancestry at the 2021 Census [1], so plenty of the Australians you'll meet in Rome have family roots here.
The Australian Embassy is at Via Antonio Bosio 5, and Australia also has a Permanent Mission to the UN agencies in Rome and a separate embassy to the Holy See [2][8].
Anzac Day is marked with a dawn service at the Rome War Cemetery near Piramide [3].
Cricket lives at the Roma Capannelle Cricket Club, whose ground sits inside a racecourse [5]. Aussie rules has a small Italian scene [6][7].
Watching the AFL or NRL live means early starts: Rome is 8 to 10 hours behind the east coast.

Who the Aussies in Rome are

Rome draws a particular mix of Australians, and knowing who's around helps you find your people.

Italian-Australians coming "home". The 2021 Census counted 163,326 people in Australia who were born in Italy, and about 1,108,364 people listed Italian ancestry, 4.4% of the population [1]. Their children and grandchildren turn up in Rome to study, work, chase citizenship or just meet the cousins.
Diplomats and UN staff. The embassy here also serves as Australia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations agencies based in Rome [2], so there's a steady flow of Australians in food, agriculture and development work.
Remote workers and retirees. People earning Australian dollars or drawing on super and rentals, who came for the lifestyle.
Working holiday makers. Australians aged 18 to 35 can spend up to a year in Italy on a once-only working holiday visa. Rome is a natural base.
Students and academics. At Rome's universities, art schools and Australian university programmes based in Italy.

Anzac Day in Rome

If you do one Aussie thing in Rome each year, make it this one.

In 2026 the Australian and New Zealand embassies held a dawn service at 6 am on 25 April at the Rome War Cemetery, on Via Nicola Zabaglia near the Piramide metro stop, followed by morning tea on the grounds [3]. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists the Anzac Day ceremony at the cemetery as open to the public [4]. In 2024 it was a 9 am service, so check the timing with the embassy each year.

25 April is also Italy's own Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione), a public holiday. So after the service you get a day off with the rest of Rome.

Elsewhere in central and southern Italy there are Commonwealth war cemeteries connected to the Italian campaign of the Second World War. Many Aussies make a trip to one of them part of their first year.

Sport: cricket, footy and the 5 am grand final

Cricket

The Roma Capannelle Cricket Club calls itself the oldest active cricket club in Italy and has been playing in Rome for more than 40 years [5]. Its ground is inside the Capannelle racecourse in the city's south-east, and it holds nets sessions on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 pm at the Roma Uno Sport Center in Trastevere [5]. It's the obvious first stop if you want a hit, a bowl or a beer in whites.

Aussie rules

Footy in Italy is small and mostly driven by passionate locals. The Roma Blues, a Rome club that wears Carlton colours, won the first AFL Italia premiership in 2010 [6]. Local clubs come and go, so check AFL Europe and social media for who's playing now. Back home, AFL International's Team Italy, linked to the Italian community in Australia, competes in multicultural tournaments such as the Harmony Cup [7].

Rugby and soccer

Italy plays its Six Nations home rugby matches at the Stadio Olimpico, which makes for a great day out when the Wallabies are in town. On the round-ball side, picking between Roma and Lazio is the first big decision of Roman life. Choose carefully; it's for life.

Watching games from home

Rome runs on Central European Time. From April to early October the gap to Sydney and Melbourne is usually 8 hours; from November to March it's usually 10. That means:

What's on	Typical time in Melbourne	Time in Rome
Saturday arvo AFL (winter)	1:45 pm	5:45 am
Friday night footy (winter)	7:40 pm	11:40 am
Boxing Day Test, first ball	10:30 am	12:30 am
AFL Grand Final (late September)	2:30 pm	6:30 am

Clock changes in both hemispheres shift these by an hour for a few weeks each year. Find a mate with a good streaming setup and a moka pot.

Aussie food and the taste of home

Rome is a food city, so you won't go hungry, but some things from home are hard to find.

Vegemite and Tim Tams. Look in international food shops or bring them in your luggage. Many Aussies pack a suitcase "pantry" every trip home.
Coffee. Your flat white habit will meet the Roman bar. Espresso at the counter is the local way, quick and cheap. Ordering a cappuccino after lunch earns a look.
Barbecue. Proper Aussie barbies are rare in apartment Rome. A park picnic at Villa Borghese or Villa Ada, or a friend with a terrace, is the next best thing.
Lamingtons and pavlova. Mostly homemade. Bring a batch to a gathering and you'll be popular.

How to meet other Aussies in Rome

Join Cooee Italy. Our Facebook group for Australians in Italy is the easiest place to ask questions, swap tips and hear about catch-ups. Join the community.
Go to the dawn service. It's the one morning a year you'll meet a big chunk of Rome's Aussies and Kiwis in one place.
Pick up a bat. Cricket clubs are among the most international communities in the city.
Follow the embassy. The Australian Embassy publishes news and notices, and is the place to check for official community events such as Anzac Day [2].
Say yes to the Kiwis. Rome's New Zealanders are often at the same events. The trans-Tasman rivalry travels well.

Staying connected to Australia

Being a long way from home brings practical jobs too:

Passports and notarial services are by appointment at the embassy in Rome or the Consulate-General in Milan [2].
Voting. You can still vote in federal elections from overseas if you're enrolled.
Emergencies. DFAT's Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra can be reached on +61 2 6261 3305 [2].
Family visits. Time zones make calls tricky. Early evening in Rome is breakfast time the next day back home, which works well for catching parents before work.

Aussie life in Rome: where to find your mob in the Eternal City