ROME: In the gardens around Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo monument, children race to reach the Christmas skating rink, oblivious to the blue signs around them proclaiming "Italy with her head held high."
Welcome to Atreju, a political winter fair organised by Brothers of Italy -- the far-right party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni -- that is a holiday showcase for the strength of the right.
Once a niche gathering of activists, the festival has drawn global figures, from Elon Musk to Britain's former conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak.
This year, it enjoys a prime spot in the gardens of Castel Sant'Angelo, once the mausoleum to Emperor Hadrian and a palace for popes.
With a Christmas tree of flashing lights, skating rink, playground with swings and booths selling ornaments and nativity scenes, the nine-day festival is a family affair, with hints of its political nature lying just under the surface.
Among the party members sporting badges and scores of enthusiastic volunteers from the party's youth wing on Atreju's opening weekend were voters from both sides soaking up the festive atmosphere.
"It's a very cheerful environment, family friendly, for everyone," said Ilaria D'Ambrosio, who walked her dogs through the grounds with her family.
The Tuscany resident, 46, told AFP she had voted for Meloni and was pleased with her record so far.
Italy is "improving a little bit", she said: "We see a little light at the end of the tunnel."
Meloni due to appear
Absent at the event were Brothers of Italy flags, whose tricolour flames link the party with its neo-Fascist roots.
But the back side of the imposing Roman-era monument was illuminated with the words, "You've become strong Atreju."
Mario Trupo, 63, said he was at the park out of "simple curiosity."
"I said, 'It's strange they got the authorisation to do this right under Castel Sant'Angelo. And my wife said, 'You can't say no to Giorgia Meloni'!" Trupo said.
The Roman said he did not vote. "They're all the same," he said of Italy's political class.
Meloni will close the festival on the final day on Sunday, with other invited guests this year including Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and French hard-right lawmaker Marion Marechal.
Past speakers have included Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Argentina's President Javier Milei and Steve Bannon, former political strategist to US President Donald Trump.
Italian opposition leader Elly Schlein of the centre-left Democratic Party declined an invitation this year.
Charlie Kirk... and Pasolini
Meloni organised the first Atreju meeting in 1998 when she was national coordinator for the youth division of the National Alliance, a precursor of Brothers of Italy.
The name comes from the child warrior protagonist of "The Neverending Story", a 1979 novel by German writer Michael Ende in the fantasy genre, one beloved of Italy's right.
The event has gained prominence as Meloni's party has grown to become the most popular party in Italy in 2022 elections.
Atreju's switch in 2021 from September to December, with all the accompanying Christmas attractions, also attracted more people.
"The political side doesn't interest me," said one woman who declined to give her name, snapping photos of her daughter wobbling precariously on ice skates.
Others, like New Yorker Amanda Singh, 25, were unaware of the politics on offer along with the roasted pig, fried pizza and beer. "You wouldn't have known it was political," she told AFP. "I love it... everyone is nice!"
On the sidelines, a cultural "hegemony" wall displayed photographs of figures who "put courage, heroism, and freedom before any political logic."
Included were national war hero Gabriele D'Annunzio, assassinated MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk and -- surprisingly -- Pier Paolo Pasolini, the poet and filmmaker kicked out of the Communist party for being gay but who remained strongly associated with the left.
Another wall labelled "hate words of the left" showed statements made by opposition figures -- most directed at Meloni -- with votes for their level of "originality" and "rancour".
From a hut nearby, a Father Christmas watched the scene. What did he make of it all? "Santa Claus does not vote. Santa Claus is here for the enjoyment of the children," he said.