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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

New traffic restrictions in Milan, railway strikes and protests over soaring bills: here are the key events in Italy that you should know about.

Published: 3 October 2022 09:28 CEST
Milan, city centre.
New traffic laws will come into effect in Milan on Monday, with several classes of vehicles being banned from entering the city’s traffic-restricted area on weekdays. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Monday

New traffic restrictions in Milan – New traffic laws will come into effect in Milan starting from Monday, October 3rd, with several classes of vehicles being banned from entering the city’s traffic-restricted area (zona traffico limitato or ZTL) from 7.30am to 7.30pm on all weekdays.

The new ban, which Milan’s authorities have introduced in an effort to reduce emissions in the city centre, will apply to non-eco-friendly vehicles.

READ ALSO: ‘It takes time’: Foreign residents on what it’s really like to live in Milan

To find out whether your car will be able to enter Milan’s ZTL from Monday, please consult the Comune di Milano website.

Modena Cento Ore – The first leg of the Modena Cento Ore (Modena 100 hours), one of Italy’s most anticipated vintage car meets, will start on Monday, October 3rd, in Milano Marittima, Emilia-Romagna. 

As usual, the five-day festival, which is currently in its 22nd edition, will offer classic car enthusiasts a rich events programme, including city parades, road trips across some of Italy’s most fascinating countryside landscapes and races on legendary circuits such as Misano and Mugello. 

The Modena Cento Ore’s full programme is available here, whereas the application form to take part in the event can be downloaded here. 

Tuesday

Fourth-dose bookings in Tuscany – On Tuesday, October 4th bookings to receive the second booster shot (also known as ‘fourth dose’) against Covid will be extended to all Tuscany residents above the age of 12.

A patient being administered a Covid jab.

After a recent uptick in infections, Tuscany will now offer the second booster shot (or fourth dose) to all residents over the age of 12. Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP

So far, the second booster shot has only been offered to healthcare workers, at-risk individuals and over-60s. 

READ ALSO: Italy eases Covid measures ahead of new government

But, given the recent uptick in infections across the region, Tuscany’s president, Eugenio Giano, has chosen to extend the vaccination campaign to the rest of the resident population except for children under 12.

Thursday

PD’s board meets after election defeat – The Italian Democratic Party’s board will convene on Thursday, October 6th to officially start discussions over the new party leadership.

The PD suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Italy’s right-wing coalition in the September 25th elections, where they received only 19 percent of votes.

READ ALSO: Italy’s Meloni begins tricky government talks after election win

Following the vote, PD leader Enrico Letta – who’s since been identified by many as the main responsible for his party’s election debacle – announced that he would not stand for leadership at the party’s next congress in March and would step down once a new capogruppo was found.

Weekend

Railway strike in Lombardy – Staff from railway company Trenord will hold a 24-hour strike between 9pm on Saturday, October 8th and 9pm on Sunday, October 9th, with delays and/or cancellations expected to affect railway travel across the northern region of Lombardy. 

Empty railway station in Lombardy.

Staff from railway company Trenord will strike from 9pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

According to the Italian Transport Ministry (MIT), the strike should only affect train services in Lombardy, though disruption to travel in surrounding regions cannot be ruled out at this time. 

On the day of strike, Trenord will not guarantee any minimum services except for trains headed for Milan’s Malpensa Airport, which, Trenord said, “in the event of cancellations, might be replaced by coaches”. 

New demonstration against energy bills surge – Members of Emilia-Romagna’s grassroots organisation Noi Non Paghiamo (‘we are not paying’) will take to the streets of Bologna on Saturday, October 8th to protest against the increase in gas and electricity bills of the past few months.

READ ALSO: Electricity bills in Italy to rise by 59 percent, says energy regulator

The group, which was born in early September after the Don’t Pay campaign gained momentum in the UK, has already engaged in a number of public demonstrations. 

Last Saturday, members of Noi Non Paghiamo gathered in front of the headquarters of national energy company ENI in Bologna and burned dozens of energy bills in a waste bin.

“It’ll be a long winter […] and it’s past time we all joined together,” the group wrote on their Telegram account after the demonstration.

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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From climate protests to the start of Venice's Biennale art exhibition, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 14 April 2024 07:53 CEST
On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week

Monday 

National ‘Made in Italy’ Day

The Italian government has created a national ‘Made in Italy’ Day, or Giornata Nazionale del Made in Italy, aimed at promoting and celebrating Italian-made produce, and a full week of events marking the occasion kicks off on Monday, April 15th.

Enterprises and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso in early April said the creation of the date was a way to “value, promote and protect national industries’ products”, while also “recognising their social impact”.

This year’s program consists of more than 200 events around the country, many open to the public, including exhibitions, concerts, and talks on topics such as exports and the tourism industry, and runs until Sunday, April 21st.

Time to switch to summer tyres

Motorists in Italy have from Monday, April 15th to Wednesday, May 15th to switch from winter to summer tyres.

After the window to make the switch closes, drivers breaking the rules will face a fine of up to 1,731 euros plus the requirement to undergo a revisione (the Italian equivalent of a UK MOT test or a vehicle inspection in the US).

Winter tyre in a garage

A winter tyre lies next to a car in a small garage. Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Italy’s summer tyres requirement is a frequent source of confusion as it doesn’t apply to all vehicles. See our article on the topic to find out whether or not it applies to you.

Vinitaly 

Monday also marks the second day of international wine and spirits exhibition Vinitaly, which this year runs until Wednesday, April 17th.

Considered one of the most important dates in the calendar for wine lovers, this annual Verona-based fair attracts producers and buyers from all over the world for a host of talks, tasting experiences and workshops.

Applications open for Florence kids’ summer programme

Florence’s town hall is putting on a two-week events programme for children this summer, with applications open from Monday, April 15th until Tuesday, April 23rd.

The activities are geared towards young people aged three to 14 who are resident in the city or attend its schools, and are designed to offer “stimulating socialization, relationship, participation and growth experiences.”

Friday

Climate change protests

Activists from international climate strike movement Fridays for Future will hold rallies in a number of major Italian cities, including Rome, Milan and Turin, on Friday, April 19th.

The demonstrations were called last week to demand a stop to new “fossil fuel projects confirmed with the Mattei plan” – a recently approved government plan which set out 5.5 billion euros’ worth of investments in Africa, including deals for the development of local natural gas supplies.

Fridays for Future

Students hold placards during a Fridays for Future demonstration in Turin in October 2023. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

Local traffic and public transport routes in all of the affected cities may be subject to changes as a result of the above gatherings.

Saturday 

Venice Biennale exhibition

The 60th edition of the Venice International Art Exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, April 20th and run until November 24th.

Curated by São Paulo Museum of Art director Adriano Pedrosa, this year’s display will focus on the work of cultural and geographical outsiders based on the central theme of ‘Foreigners Everywhere’. 

Artworks will be spread across two venues: the Central Pavilion at the Biennale Gardens and the Arsenal complex. More information can be found here.

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