Today’s guest post is from Scott McLay of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Now in its tenth year, Rome’s L’Arte nell’ Uovo di Pasqua, or ‘Art in Easter Eggs’ is a unique celebration that combines art, Italian tradition, design and skill with charity in the prestigious lifestyle and arts store, the White Gallery in Rome. Created and organised by Sergio Valente, this event takes place over one evening, with the proceeds going towards a number of charitable projects, such as HIV research and Water for Ethiopia. Taking place in March every year, Art in Easter Eggs has attracted some very high profile artists, including the Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas and the Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.

Unlike more consumer based Easter celebrations, Art in Easter Eggs doesn’t produce the colourful and recognisable Easter eggs that we’re all used to. Instead the shape of the egg, and the nature of the egg as a symbol of birth, life and humanity, with the artists taking part asked to take inspiration from the shape and meaning of the egg in order to create their work. They are allowed to use any art medium or materials that they’d prefer to use, such as paint, charcoal, or even stone for sculpting.

Beginning in 2002, Art in Easter Eggs quickly became a popular arts and culture event in the heart of Rome that attracted locals and tourists alike. After each piece has been created, they are then exhibited to the public, journalists and artists alike, for no fee, After they have been exhibited, they are then sold, with all the proceeds going to a chosen charity or cause, previous recipients have included the Atena Onlus, an association that researched neurosurgery, and the money from the sales of the work was used to finance their research and the building of specialist laboratories to help find the cure for serious neurological injuries and illnesses.

The exhibition continues Italy’s tradition of decorating eggs, which became popular around the world in the Middle Ages, when real hen eggs were substituted for artificial eggs, which were then decorated with precious stones and metals, such as gold, silver and even platinum. This then led to the creation of the infamous Faberge eggs, which were created especially for the tsars in the 19^th century.

As the event is free, all are welcome to attend, and tourists visiting Rome during the months of March and April will find that Art in Easter Eggs will attract a lot of attention, with the media, celebrities and some of the most well-known names in the art world arriving in the city of the event. http://www.inghams.co.uk/lakes-mountains-holidays/country/item16/italy/  Usually very popular during the summer months, but March and April can be much quieter, and events like Art in Easter Eggs prove that there is so much more to do on holiday in Italy, so try not to miss out on this highlight of the Italian cultural calendar.