American life in Rome: churches, clubs, holidays

Americans have been putting down roots in Rome since before the Colosseum had electric lights. The city has an American Episcopal church from the 1870s, an American Catholic parish dating to 1922 and a women's club founded by Clare Boothe Luce.

The short version

The US Embassy is at Via Vittorio Veneto 121, with consulates general in Florence, Milan and Naples [1].
St. Paul's Within the Walls, on Via Nazionale, is the American Episcopal church. It has hosted a Thanksgiving Eucharist and dinner in past years [2][3].
St. Patrick's Catholic American Parish carries on the American parish that the Paulist Fathers started at Santa Susanna in 1922 [4].
Democrats Abroad Italy has northern and southern chapters. Republicans Overseas listed no Italy chapter on its national leadership page when we checked, so contact the national group [5][6].
The American Women's Association of Rome (AWAR), founded by Clare Boothe Luce, runs regular events [7].

Churches with American roots

Even if you're not religious, Rome's American churches double as community centers, especially around the holidays.

St. Paul's Within the Walls

St. Paul's Within the Walls (San Paolo entro le Mura), at Via Nazionale 16a, is the American Episcopal church in Rome. Its first stone went in on January 25, 1873. It was designed by English architect George Edmund Street, and Rome's tourism office calls it the first non-Catholic place of worship built in Rome after Italian unification [2]. Go see the apse mosaics by Edward Burne-Jones, which Italy declared a national monument [2].

St. Paul's has hosted a Thanksgiving Eucharist and dinner; in 2024 it ran on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, from 6 to 10 p.m. [3]. Check its website for this year's plans.

St. Patrick's Catholic American Parish

American Catholics in Rome had their own parish at Santa Susanna from February 19, 1922, when Paulist Father Thomas Lantry O'Neill became its first rector, after President Warren Harding backed the request to the Pope [4]. Santa Susanna closed for a third time on July 5, 2013, and the community now worships at the Church of St. Patrick (San Patrizio), hosted by the Irish Augustinians, as St. Patrick's Catholic American Parish [4]. It serves English-speaking Catholics and the many American pilgrims passing through.

Thanksgiving in Rome

Thanksgiving is just a regular Thursday in Italy. Schools are open, your Italian coworkers are working, and no one's watching the parade.

How Americans make it work:

Host it yourself, often on Saturday. A whole turkey (tacchino) is easier to get if you order ahead from a butcher (macelleria). Roman ovens are small, so a bird under about 5 kg (11 lb), or a turkey breast, may fit better.
Hunt down the hard stuff early. Canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce sell out fast in import shops. Our American food in Rome guide covers where people look.
Join a church or club dinner. St. Paul's Thanksgiving dinner is the best-known one we could verify [3].
Watch the games. The late-afternoon NFL kickoffs land in the evening in Rome, which works out nicely after dinner.

The Fourth of July and the 250th

July in Rome is hot, often above 35°C (95°F), and Romans start heading for the beach. Americans mark the Fourth with rooftop barbecues, picnics and parties at bars.

2026 was a big year: the United States' 250th anniversary. The US Embassy posted on July 3, 2026 that the ambassador celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence, and in June it promoted Freedom 250 events across Italy [1]. Don't count on an open-to-all embassy party, though. For most of us, the Fourth is a DIY affair.

Football, both kinds

Soccer (calcio) is the main event in Rome, and the city is split between AS Roma and Lazio, who share the Stadio Olimpico. Go to a derby once, and pick your side carefully.

American football has a real foothold in Italy, too. The Italian Football League played its 2026 season with ten teams, including the Lazio Marines, from Rome's region. Its championship, Italian Bowl XLV, was held on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Ferrara [8]. A local team is a fun way to meet Italians who love the same sport you do.

For the NFL, Sunday afternoon games kick off in the evening Rome time, and the Super Bowl means a very late Sunday night (or a sleepy Monday).

Clubs and political groups

The American Women's Association of Rome

AWAR describes itself as a community of global women that aims to foster friendship and understanding between Italy and the United States. Clare Boothe Luce, the US ambassador to Italy in the 1950s, founded it. Members belong to FAWCO, an international network of women's clubs, and the club publishes The AWAR Forum [7]. Its November 2026 calendar included a wine tasting and a tour of a historic pharmacists' guild church near the Forum [7].

Democrats Abroad and Republicans Overseas

Both major parties have overseas groups, and Americans in Rome can join either one.

Democrats Abroad Italy lists a Northern Italy Chapter and a Southern Italy Chapter, and sends members to votefromabroad.org to request ballots. Its 2026 election events we saw were in Florence, Bologna and Milan [5]. In past years it has run ballot drives and meetups in Rome.
Republicans Overseas is the Republican-aligned group for Americans abroad. When we checked, its national leadership page listed a vice president for Europe but no Italy chapter, so contact the national group directly [6].

The two parties have worked together in Rome before: in October 2018, Republicans Overseas, Democrats Abroad and St. Stephen's School co-hosted a bipartisan ballot drop-off on Via Aventina, with support from the US Embassy [9]. Whatever your politics, the Federal Voting Assistance Program is the neutral place to register. See Voting from abroad: the FPCA and FVAP.

The US Embassy and staying safe

The US Embassy in Rome is at Via Vittorio Veneto 121, phone (+39) 06 46741. The Consulates General are in Florence (Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 38), Milan (Via Principe Amedeo 2/10) and Naples (Piazza della Repubblica 2), and there are consular agencies in Genoa, Palermo and Venice [1].

Service	When you'll need it
Passports	Renewing an adult passport, or a child's
Consular Report of Birth Abroad	Your baby is born in Rome
Notarial services	Signing US documents, such as for a house sale back home
Emergency help	Arrest, serious illness or a death abroad

For an emergency, the embassy lists its main number, 06 46741, and the State Department's 24/7 line, +1-202-501-4444 from abroad [1]. Enroll in STEP so the embassy can reach you; see STEP and help from US embassies.

When we checked on November 6, 2026, the State Department rated Italy Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), due to terrorism, in the advisory updated September 10, 2026 [10]. Day to day, the hassle in Rome is pickpocketing on crowded buses and around Termini and the big sights.

Finding your people

University alumni clubs, English-language book clubs, running groups and language exchanges are all over Rome. The exchanges are a great way to make Italian friends, which is the real secret to feeling at home. For a crowd that gets both sides of your life, from FBAR deadlines to where to watch the Super Bowl, join our community group for Americans in Italy.

American life in Rome: Thanksgiving, the Fourth and finding your people