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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

From patron saint celebrations in Florence and Rome to an income tax deadline, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 23 June 2024 08:11 CEST
Updated: 23 June 2024 22:51 CEST
Frescoes painted on the pavement of Rome's Via della Conciliazione mark the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul
Frescoes painted on the pavement of Rome's Via della Conciliazione mark the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th 2016. Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP

Monday

Patron saint celebrations in Florence

Tuscany’s capital will celebrate its patron saint, John the Baptist, on Monday, June 24th.

The Festa di San Giovanni is a local holiday in Florence, meaning that many around the city will get the day off.

As is tradition, a number of cultural events and religious ceremonies will mark the festival, with the highlights of the day including a historical costume parade winding its way through the city centre, a live music concert on the Zecca Vecchia bank of the Arno river and a 40-minute firework show at 10pm.

Italy takes on Croatia in decisive Euro 2024 match

The Italian national football team will face Croatia in its last group stage match of Euro 2024 on Monday, June 24th.

After beating Albania 2-1 in their opening game, the Azzurri lost 1-0 to a dominant Spain side on Thursday and will now have to avoid defeat against Croatia to qualify for the knockout stage as group runners-up.

Players from Italy's national football team pictured during an international friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina

Players from Italy’s national football team pictured during an international friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 2024. Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP

The game will be held at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, with kickoff set for 9pm Italian time. For details on how to watch Euro 2024 matches in Italy, see our guide.

Wednesday

Deadline to apply for proxy vote in UK election

British nationals living outside the UK, including in Italy, have until 5pm British Summer Time on Wednesday, June 26th to apply to vote by proxy in the July 4th general election. 

In order to complete your application you’ll need your National Insurance number or any other identity document, address and contact details of your proxy, and a photo of your handwritten signature.

Find further details on applying for a proxy vote on the UK government’s website.

24-hour public transport strike in Milan

Commuters in Milan may face delays and or cancellations on Wednesday, June 26th as staff at public transport operator ATM plan to strike for 24 hours.

The walkout is set to affect the normal operation of buses, trams and underground trains, but shouldn’t impact long-distance trains and taxi services.

READ ALSO: Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

A tram rides past a junction in downtown Milan

A tram rides past a junction in downtown Milan. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

ATM is expected to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (or servizi minimi) at peak commute hours on Wednesday. Details on these should become available closer to the date of the strike. 

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

Friday

Two Worlds Festival in Spoleto

The popular Festival dei Due Mondi (or Two Worlds Festival) – a 17-day event featuring a full programme of music, opera and theatre performances – will return to Spoleto, in the central Umbria region, on Friday, June 28th. 

The festival was founded by Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958 and was originally twinned with the Spoleto Festival USA held in Charleston, South Carolina, with the intention of marrying the ‘two worlds’ of American and European culture.

READ ALSO: Nine unmissable events in Italy in summer 2024

For further info on all of this year’s scheduled events, see the festival’s website.

Saturday

Rome celebrates Saints Peter and Paul

Rome residents will celebrate local patron saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, June 29th.

Though the annual Festa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo is a local holiday in the capital, it won’t give residents an extra day off this year as it falls on a non-working day.

That said, the day will be marked by the usual mix of religious and secular celebrations, which will culminate in the traditional firework display over the Pincian Hill, in the northeastern quadrant of the city centre, in the evening.

Sunday

Irpef income tax deadline

The deadline for paying the first instalment of Italy’s personal income tax Irpef falls on Sunday, June 30th this year. 

Payment must be made through modello F24 (form F24). The Italian tax office offers guidance on how to fill out and submit the form, though this is currently only available in Italian.

The deadline for making the second payment falls on November 30th.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

What changes in Italy in July 2024

From transport strikes to summer music festivals, here’s what to expect in Italy over the coming month.

Published: 26 June 2024 14:40 CEST
What changes in Italy in July 2024

Deadline to switch energy supplier

Customers on certain types of Italian electricity contracts have until Monday, July 1st to switch to a new provider or contract of their choice.

Italy’s mercato tutelato, or ‘protected market’ contracts based on state-controlled tariffs are being phased out this year under an EU push to liberalise the Italian energy market, meaning customers on this type of contract are being asked to choose a mercato libero, or ‘free market’ contract instead.

Those who don’t make the switch themselves by the start of July will be automatically assigned to a new supplier and placed under a three-year ‘gradual protection contract’ (or servizio a tutele graduali). 

Rome metro A closures and fares going up

The cost of a standard 100-minute ticket for Rome’s public transport network is set to jump from €1.50 to €2 from Monday, July 1st.

A day pass will go from €7 to €9.30, a two-day ticket from €12.50 to €16.70, a 72-hour ticket from €18 to €24, and a weekly ticket from €24 to €32.

READ ALSO: The rail and metro closures to expect in Rome this summer

Meanwhile the Spagna stop on the city’s metro A line is set to close from Monday, July 15th to October 3rd, while the Ottaviano stop will close from Monday, July 22nd to September 9th.

Start of summer sales

Italy has two major government-regulated sales seasons in the summer and winter. For all Italian regions except the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, this year’s summer sales will start on Saturday, July 6th. 

The saldi estivi are by far the favourite time of the year for shoppers as retailers apply generous discounts (from 20 to 50 to 70 percent in some cases).

READ ALSO: When do Italy’s sales start in summer 2024?

Trento and Bolzano decide their own sales periods independently from the rest of the country, with start and end dates often varying from town to town: you can find the dates for individual towns in Bolzano here.

A pedestrian walks by a shop window displaying sales notices in Turin

A pedestrian walks by a shop window displaying sales notices in Turin. Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

Travel disruption

Airline, rail and public transport passengers are all set to face further travel disruption in July as Italian unions have already called a number of strikes for the coming weeks. 

Besides several local and regional walkouts, the following three national demonstrations are currently expected to cause the greatest amount of disruption to people in the country:

READ ALSO: Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

  • Friday, July 5th: airport handling staff strike affecting a number of Italian airports.
  • July 6th-7th: 24-hour national train strike from 9pm on Saturday, July 6th to 9pm on Sunday, July 7th. 
  • Thursday, July 18th: four-hour nationwide local transport strike.

For further details about these and ther summer walkouts and how they may affect your travel plans, see our summer strike calendar. 

Special evening openings of national heritage sites  

From villas and manors to castles and abbeys, a number of attractions around the country will be open outside of normal opening hours this month as part of the Italian National Trust’s Sere d’Estate (‘Summer Evenings’) initiative.

Historic gems such as Castello della Manta in the Cottian Alps, Milan’s Necchi-Campiglio Villa, and the beautiful Kolymbethra Garden in Agrigento, Sicily will be just some of the attractions letting visitors in after sundown in July.

The Sere d’Estate project is set to run until early September.

Castello della Manta is one of the sites opening to visitors after hours in July. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP.

Summer festivals

Summer in Italy is full of events and festivals celebrating music and culture, and July is when many of them kick off in earnest.

Italy residents and visitors can look forward to the Umbria Jazz Festival, held in Perugia from July 12th-21st, and the Two Worlds Festival in Spoleto from June 28th-July 14th.

READ ALSO: Nine unmissable events in Italy in summer 2024

Running throughout the month of July and into the start of August, Rome’s outdoor Caracalla Festival features opera, dance and orchestral performances; while Verona’s celebrated Arena Opera Festival, held in an ancient Roman amphitheatre, runs until early September.

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