About the Ambulationes Romanae: Rome’s Latin Speakers Circle or Circulus Latinus

I have accomplished little in my short, somewhat aimless life, but one thing I can say is that I am among the founding members of Rome’s Latin Speakers Circle or Circulus Latinus, the Ambulationes Romanae. Yes, indeed, I attended the very first meeting and am well-known to the waiters of the cafe we frequent. I try to attend each month, too, so perhaps you’ll see me around sometime! We always look forward to welcoming newcomers, so long as they are willing to speak exclusively Latin at our meetings. 

While I had dreamed of setting up a Circulus Latinus since I first moved to Rome, the Ambulationes Romanae were actually founded by a friend of mine, Giuseppe M., who is well-versed in using Facebook and Instagram to drum up excitement for a new project. I’d met him the previous summer at the Vivarium Novum’s Otia Tusculana. Using his extensive on- and off-line network, Giuseppe managed to gather together a group of both friends and strangers alike who wanted to speak Latin together. Some of the new friends we made during that first meeting still frequent our circle, though others have - sadly - since moved away. 

These days we meet on about a monthly basis. At an average meeting, locals and visitors alike appear. Many are, like myself, students at local universities, while others are liceo teachers. We’ve even got a few Latin-speaking “celebrities” who occasionally make appearances, such as members of the team that founded a publishing company for their Latin-language comic books, Nubes. Our members range in age, but tend to be on the younger side (like yours truly) because so many of us are still completing our studies.

At an average meeting, we meet in a public place, for example the Piazza del Popolo. Then we stop for coffee and Latin-language conversation at a cafe nearby. Afterwards, one of our number leads the rest of the group on a tour of a nearby site, such as a museum or church, and acts as a kind of tour guide, but in Latin. Afterwards, we continue walking or drink more coffee in a cafe, before finally bidding each other goodbye later in the evening. Often, I enjoy myself so much that I want these otiose hours of fun to last forever - not unlike Catullus.

For more information and to be notified of upcoming meetings, follow the official Instagram account: @ambulationes_romanae  

Giuseppe also gave a radio interview in Italian on the project, which can be heard here.

One of our recent meetings. Photo credit: Giuseppe M.