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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From freezing weather to the start of Carnival celebrations, here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 30 January 2023 10:04 CET
Masked revellers during Carnival celebrations in Venice
Venice will kick off Carnival celebrations as early as Saturday, February 4th. Photo by Andrea PATTARO / AFP

Monday

Colder weather on the way

Temperatures are expected to drop again in the coming days as a cold air front moves in from the north-east.

Below-zero temperatures are predicted for the north in particular, including in the cities of Milan, Turin and Bologna.

READ ALSO: Ten phrases to talk about cold and wet weather like a true Italian

Forecasts say the Alps and some sections of the Apennines could see snowstorms, while southern regions, including the islands, are expected to be hit by heavy rain.

Tuesday

New anti-waste app launches

There are various apps on the market tracking food waste and Italy is now set to have its own, as the Sprecometro app developed by the Waste Watcher International Observatory together with the University of Bologna will be launched on Tuesday, January 31st.

The free app aims to help reduce food waste, help develop more sustainable eating habits, and raise awareness of environmental impact.

Wednesday

Instalment plans for energy bills

Energy bills are stretching many household budgets in Italy as elsewhere this winter, but it’s possible to pay in instalments..

Energy provider Plenitude, a subsidiary of Italy’s oil giant Eni, offers interest-free payment plans to households and small businesses, and the window to sign up for 2023 opens on Wednesday, February 1st. Find information on Plenitude’s website.

Saturday

Carnival celebrations start in Venice and Viareggio

Though Carnival celebrations will peak in the six-day period between Thursday, February 16th (giovedì grasso) and Tuesday, February 21st (martedì grasso), Carnival-related events will officially start on Saturday, February 4th.

Venice’s famous Carnival will kick off celebrations with a floating parade along the Grand Canal while in Viareggio, Tuscany, the 2023 Carnival opening ceremony will be followed by a fireworks show.

Sunday

Italy faces France in Rome in Six Nations opener

Italy’s national rugby team will start their journey in the historic Six Nations Championship by facing title holders France in Rome on Sunday, February 5th. 

The game will be broadcast on both SkySport Italy and TV8 (channel eight on your TV set).

Those wishing to see the Azzurri in action from up close can get tickets for the Stadio Olimpico matchup here.

Free Museum Sunday

State museums and archaeological sites across Italy will allow free entrance on Sunday, February 5th as part of the monthly Domenica al Museo, known as ‘Free Museum Sundays’ in English, which is held on every first Sunday of the month. Read more here.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From mafia victims remembrance day to celebrations for the Florentine New Year, here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 20 March 2023 09:50 CET
On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

Monday

Start of spring

The spring equinox, which falls on March 20th this year, will mark the first day of astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere.

After the equinox – which, scientifically speaking, is the moment when the sun appears directly above the earth’s equator – daylight will gradually increase up until the summer solstice on June 21st.

Tuesday

Mafia victims remembrance day

Italy will commemorate the victims of mafia crimes on Tuesday, March 21st, which is known as National Remembrance Day for Innocent Mafia Victims (Giornata della Memoria delle Vittime Innocenti delle Mafie).

Anti-mafia organisation Libera created the event back in 1996, but it was only officially recognised by the Italian state in 2017. 

READ ALSO: ‘Very violent’: How Italy’s youngest mafia is terrorising the Puglia region

March held in memory of mafia victims

Italy will commemorate the victims of mafia crimes on Tuesday, March 21st. Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP

The day is not a national holiday, meaning public institutions and schools will remain open, but a number of events paying homage to mafia victims will take place around the country.

A march followed by guest talks and seminars on the history of the mafia will take place in Milan – the ‘capital’ of this year’s Remembrance Day – on Tuesday morning.

Wednesday 

Surrealism in Milan

An exhibition exploring the relationship between surrealism and non-western cultures will open at Milan’s Mudec Museum on Wednesday, March 22nd. 

The show, titled ‘Dalì, Magritt, Man Ray and Surrealism’, will display over 180 items, including some lesser-known artworks and historical documents, that are expressive of the cultural syncretism lying at the heart of surrealist art. 

READ ALSO: Metro, bus or tram: How to use Milan’s public transport

The exhibition will remain open to the public until late July. Tickets can be bought here.

Friday

European Gelato Day

Friday, March 24th will be Europe’s Artisanal Gelato Day.

The event, which was first launched back in 2012, is to this day the only food-related recurrence recognised by the European parliament. 

Austria’s very own apfelstrudel ice cream will be the centrepiece this year, with gelato makers from all around Europe having a crack at producing the strudel-flavoured delicacy. The flavour will be on offer at artisanal gelaterie in Italy.

Gelato makers in Italy

The 11th edition of the European Artisanal Gelato Day will take place on Friday, March 24th. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Saturday

Florentine New Year

Florence residents will be ringing in the Florentine New Year on Saturday, March 25th.

The Tuscan city marked the official start of its calendar year on March 25th – the day of the Annunciation of the Lord according to Catholic tradition – from the early Middle Ages right up to 1749, when it switched to the Gregorian calendar by order of Grand Duke Francis II.

 Florence residents have carried on holding celebrations on the day through the centuries, with the former capodanno being a beloved cultural event to this very day.

READ ALSO: What are the best Florence neighbourhoods for international residents?

As usual, this year’s celebration will be marked by a costume parade starting in Piazza di Parte Guelfa and ending before the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, where a solemn ceremony will be held.

A wealth of events (special art exhibitions, guest talks, conferences and so on) will take place in the days preceding and following March 25th. You can find out more about those here.

Sunday

Clocks go forward

Italy will make the switch to Daylight Savings Time (also known as summer time, or ora legale in Italian) in the early hours of Sunday, March 26th.

READ ALSO: Whatever happened to the EU plan to ditch the changing of the clocks?

Clocks will jump forward by one hour at 2am, meaning a lost hour of sleep that night but one more hour of sunlight from then on.

While the EU voted in 2019 to scrap Daylight Savings Time (DST) by 2021, Covid, Brexit and an intra-EU stalemate all delayed the move, which means the switch will go ahead once again this March for all EU states.

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