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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From storm alerts to the reopening of parliament, here’s a look at the key events you should know about.

Published: 10 October 2022 09:07 CEST
On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week
Piazza del Duomo in central Milan. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

Monday, October 10th – Storm alert in the centre-south

After a spell of mild early autumn weather across much of Italy, rain is on its way from Monday. Forecasters say temperatures will cool across the country, with scattered showers expected and a risk of strong winds and thunderstorms in many areas.

Particularly bad weather is likely to hit the south and centre of the country. Italy’s civil protection authority on Sunday issued a lower-level ‘yellow’ weather alert for Monday for the regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany, and Umbria, saying these areas could expect “strong showers, frequent electrical activity and strong gusts of wind”.

Wednesday 12th – Military ship visits Ancona

The port city of Ancona, Marche, will welcome the ‘Amerigo Vespucci’ ship on the 12th and 13th of October, reports Ansa. The tall sailing ship, which often called the “world’s most beautiful ship” and is recognised worldwide as a symbol of Italy, hasn’t visited Ancona since 2019 and will return after stops in Trieste and Venice in recent days.

Italy’s navy, or Marina Militare, said the public will be allowed to visit the ship at the port of Ancona between 2pm-11pm on Wednesday, with free admission and no need to book.

Thursday 13th – Parliament to return

The first session of the new parliament is set for Thursday following the recent general election, which resulted in a major victory for an alliance of hard right political parties.

The new session means the process of forming Italy’s new government can officially begin. While negotiations usually take weeks, sometimes months, media reports predict the new administration this time could be in place by the end of October.

Why does parliament open on Thursday? The deadline was Saturday as, according to Article 61 of the Constitution, “the first meeting” of both houses of parliament “takes place no later than the twentieth day after the elections”. 

Italy’s reopened parliament will look different after recent reforms reduced the number of parliamentarians by more than a third: from 630 deputies to 400 and 315 senators to 200.

Friday 14th – Liguria to sue over Morandi bridge collapse

A Rome court will decide on Friday whether or not the largest-ever Italian class action lawsuit can go ahead, with the residents of an entire region demanding damages following the 2018 collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa which killed XX.

So far, more than 11,000 residents of the Liguria region surrounding Genoa have signed up to sue private motorway services company Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI) for 4.5 billion euros in total, equal to compensation of 3,000 euros for every person in region for the “reputational, economic and social damage suffered due to the collapse of the bridge and of the resulting infinite motorway construction sites”, according to lawyers.

READ ALSO: Did Italian authorities know Genoa’s Morandi bridge was at risk of collapse?

59 people are currently standing trial over the Morandi bridge disaster, mainly managers from ASPI and engineering company Spea who are accused of failing to maintain the major viaduct. The two companies have together been ordered to pay 29 million euros to the Italian state.

The courthouse in Genoa, where the criminal trial on the collapse of the Morandi bridge is being heard. Photo by Brigitte Hagermann / AFP

Weekend

Visit ‘hidden’ cultural sites

More than 700 of Italy’s lesser-known historic sites will open their doors to the public for free on October 15-16th for the Giornate FAI d’Autunno event, or ‘FAI Autumn days’, organised by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano, a cultural heritage society similar to Britain’s National Trust.

Many of the participating sites, including villas, castles, churches, abbeys, parks, and theatres, are not usually open to the public or are otherwise difficult to visit.

For full details see the FAI website which lists participating sites by region. Entry is free but donations are encouraged.

Food festivals

Italy’s full schedule of autumn food festivals or sagre continues this weekend. In one delicious-sounding example, the town of Trevi, Umbria, is dedicating two days to feasting on black celery and sausage at the Sagra del Sedano Nero e della Salsiccia.

See more suggestions for food festivals to visit this month here.

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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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