Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From transport strikes to Christmas markets and the start of ski season, here are the key events happening in Italy this week that you should know about.

Published: 28 November 2022 11:08 CET
Milan's popular Christmas market will open on December 1st.
Milan's popular Christmas market is just one of the many across Italy this winter. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP.

Monday

Ischia rescue efforts continue – Rescue teams are continuing their search for survivors after an avalanche on the island of Ischia left at least seven people dead, with more missing.

A wave of mud and debris hit the small town of Casamicciola Terme early Saturday morning, engulfing at least one house and sweeping cars down to the sea.

READ ALSO: Italy declares state of emergency after deadly Ischia landslide

Italy’s government on Sunday declared a state of emergency and released an initial €2 million in relief funds.

Tuesday

Ruling on vaccine mandates – Italy’s Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of compulsory vaccination against Covid-19 on Tuesday, November 29th.

Judges will be asked to determine whether or not vaccine mandates introduced during the pandemic – which applied to healthcare and school staff as well as over-50s – breached the fundamental rights set out by Italy’s constitution.

Several Italian courts have previously upheld the vaccine oblication, with one Lazio court ruling in March 2022 saying the question of constitutional compatibility was “manifestly unfounded”.

Members of Italy's Constitutional Court will meet on Tuesday to determine whether Italy's Covid vaccine mandate was constitutional.

Members of Italy’s Constitutional Court will meet on Tuesday to determine whether Italy’s Covid vaccine mandates were constitutional. Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP.

Wednesday

Italy’s budget deadline – The Italian government has until Wednesday, November 30th to send the text of the 2023 budget law to Brussels for scrutiny.

Once greenlighted by the EU Commission, the bill will go back to parliament, with both chambers having until December 31st to sign off on it.

READ ALSO: Key points: What Italy’s new budget law means for you

Thursday

Milan’s Christmas market – One of Italy’s most popular Christmas markets will open on Thursday, December 1st.

Stalls in Milan’s iconic Piazza Duomo will be open every day from 9am to 9pm until January 6th. Businesses will be selling everything from Christmas decorations to regional food delicacies.

Milan’s isn’t the only Christmas market in Italy to open on this date; those hosted by Cagliari in Sardinia and Andalo in the Dolomites will also kick off on Thursday.

People walk across a Christmas market in downtown Milan as snow falls on December 8, 2021.

People walk across a Christmas market in downtown Milan as snow falls on December 8, 2021. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP.

Friday

National transport strike – A 24-hour national strike affecting airline and rail travel as well as local public transport will take place on Friday, December 2nd, likely creating some disruption for people travelling to, from and across Italy.

Staff from Spanish airline Vueling and local public transport operators in the Italian cities of Udine, Trieste, La Spezia, Naples, Foggia and Bari have already announced that they will take part in the strike.

According to the latest local media reports, disruption might also affect travel on Milan’s ATM lines. 

As always, The Local will keep you updated on the strike over the following days.

Saturday

Ski resorts open – All ski resorts managed by the popular Dolomiti Superski association will open on Saturday, December 3rd, offering winter sport enthusiasts a total of 1,200 kilometres of ski slopes. 

Despite early fears that an unusually warm November would force operators to postpone the opening date, the resorts are now expected to regularly open to the public on Saturday thanks to the rigid temperatures of the past week.

Italy's Alpine Dolomiti Superski resorts will Saturday, December 3rd.

Italy’s Alpine Dolomiti Superski resorts will Saturday, December 3rd. Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP.

Sunday

Free museum Sunday – People across Italy will be able to visit museums for free once again this Sunday, December 4th, under the nationwide Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ scheme allowing ticketless entry on the first Sunday of every month.

Find out more about how it works here.

WW2 bomb disposal – Around 900 residents of the eastern Italian city of Pesaro will be asked to temporarily evacuate their homes on Sunday, December 4th to allow for the safe disposal of a 500-kg US-made World War II bomb.

The device is located in the Case Bruciate area, next to the A14 highway.

A hotline will be set up in the following days to give residents all the necessary info. 

The closure of the A14 highway on the day is being considered by local authorities.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

BREAKING

Everything that changes in Italy in May 2024

From Labour Day celebrations to the start of tax filing season and a summer tyres deadline, here's what people living in Italy can expect next month.

Published: 26 April 2024 11:12 CEST
Everything that changes in Italy in May 2024

Airbnb bans indoor surveillance cameras

Surveillance cameras will no longer be allowed inside Airbnb rentals from April 30th forward under a new company-wide policy that will affect hosts and customers globally, including in Italy.

Until now, Airbnb has allowed hosts to install security cameras in common spaces such as hallways and living rooms provided that they were clearly visible and mentioned in the listing. But reports of guests finding hidden cameras in private spaces has led the company to ban indoor video surveillance altogether. 

Hosts will still be able to install outdoor cameras after April 30th, but will have to clearly specify where they are stationed.

Italy’s Labour Day celebrations

May 1st will mark Italy’s Labour Day (or Festa del Lavoro in Italian). First established in 1890 to celebrate workers’ rights and trade unions’ achievements, Labour Day is a national public holiday, meaning a day off work for many around Italy. 

Offices and schools will be closed on the day, while most state-run museum and archaeological sites will remain open.

READ ALSO: What’s open and what’s closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

People celebrate Italy's Labour Day in Rome's Piazza San Giovanni

People celebrate Italy’s Labour Day in Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni on May 1st 2013. Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP

Rail and public transport operators tend to operate a number of ‘holiday services’ (servizi or orari festivi) on national holidays, including Labour Day. However, these services may experience major delays and/or cancellations this year due to a 24-hour general strike that will involve staff from both public and private transport operators around the country.

You can keep up with all the latest updates in our strike news section.

May 1st ‘concertone’ in Rome

The traditional Labour Day concert (known as concertone, or ‘the big concert’ in Italy) will return to Rome on May 1st.

The event, which is the largest free live music concert in Europe, will take place in the central Circus Maximus venue, with performances from some of the most popular Italian artists set to start as early as 3pm.

All acts will be free of charge. No advance booking is required, but access to the square will be denied after full capacity is reached.

Tax filing season starts

May 2nd is the earliest date from which some taxpayers in Italy can begin to submit their yearly income tax returns.

There are two types of income tax declaration form in Italy: generally speaking, employees and retirees use form 730 (modello 730), whereas the self-employed, people with sources of income other than employment or pension, and taxpayers who are not legally resident in Italy use the ‘natural persons’ income form‘ (modello redditi persone fisiche).

READ ALSO: When are the deadlines for filing your Italian income tax return?

Taxpayers can submit the modello redditi persone fisiche in paper form at their local post office from May 2nd, whereas May 11th is the earliest date from which taxpayers can begin to submit the modello 730 on the Italian tax office’s website.

Cycling fever

The 2024 edition of the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling competitions, will run from Saturday, May 4th to Sunday, May 26th. 

This year’s Giro will start in Venaria Reale, just north of Turin, and end right by Rome’s iconic Fori Imperiali, passing through cities, lakes and mountain ranges all over northern and southern Italy on the way.

Irish rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the last stage of the 101st Giro d'Italia

Irish rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the last stage of the 101st Giro d’Italia on May 27th 2018 in Rome. Photo by LUK BENIES / AFP

As usual, the contest will attract thousands of cycling enthusiasts from all around the world, with fans once again expected to crowd narrow mountain roads and camp out in fields just to get a brief glimpse of the riders. 

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, May 5th under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.

The initiative applies to hundreds of sites, including world-famous attractions like the Colosseum, Pompeii, Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, the Reggia di Caserta and Trieste’s Miramare Castle. 

Find more information about how it works in our article.

Mother’s Day

Italy celebrates Mother’s Day (or Festa della Mamma) on the second Sunday in May, which falls on May 12th this year. 

First established in 1956, Italy’s Mother’s Day originally fell on May 8th but the festivity was moved to the second Sunday of May in 2000 to get in line with the American calendar.

Summer tyres deadline 

Motorists in Italy have until May 15th to make the 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).

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.

SHOW COMMENTS