What changes about life in Italy in June 2023

From an airport strike to museum ticket price hikes, here’s what to expect in Italy over the coming month.

Published: 23 May 2023 16:20 CEST
Updated: 31 May 2023 11:49 CEST

What changes about life in Italy in June 2023

The bronze statue of Perseus holding up the bloody head of Medusa is pictured on Piazza della Signoria in Florence. There will be two opportunities to visit Italian museums for free in June - before ticket prices go up for the rest of summer. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

June 2nd – National public holiday and start of the long weekend

Italy’s Republic Day (or Festa della Repubblica) is a national public holiday, which commemorates the birth of the Italian Republic as we have it today.

On this date in 1946, Italians voted in a referendum to abolish the then 85-year-old monarchy, which had fallen out of favour due to its close alignment with Mussolini’s fascist regime.

Conveniently, this year’s Republic Day falls on a Friday, which means many people in Italy will enjoy a three-day weekend (unlike in some countries, Italy’s public holidays can fall on any day of the week.)

All public offices (banks, post offices, town halls, etc.) and schools will be closed on the day, though some shops and restaurants, especially in big cities, may remain open.

Public transport services around the country will operate on a reduced timetable (usually referred to as orario festivo) on June 2nd, while heavier-than-normal traffic can be expected on Italian roads over the weekend. Read more about what to expect here.

The acrobatic unit of Italy’s Air Force, known as ‘Frecce Tricolori’, will fly over Rome on Friday, June 2nd as part of the country’s Republic Day celebrations. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

June 2nd and 4th – Free museum entry

You can visit Italy’s famous attractions free of charge not once cut twice this coming holiday weekend with two special free opening dates on the calendar.

Italy opens the doors of state-run museums and archaeological sites for free every first Sunday of the month under the Domenica al museo or ‘free museum Sundays‘ scheme.

Plus many of the same sites will offer free access to mark the public holiday, Republic Day, on Friday, June 2nd.

Free museum openings on Republic Day and two other “symbolic” dates were announced by Italy’s culture minister in March in addition to the free Sundays offer.

Participating venues on June 2nd include Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, Bologna’s Pinacoteca Nazionale, the royal palace of Caserta, and the Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia in Rome.

See a full list on the culture ministry’s website here.

June 4th – Airport staff strike

Airline passengers travelling to or from Italy are set to face disruption on Sunday, June 4th as airport handling staff around the country are set to take part in a 24-hour walkout.

As at least four of Italy’s largest transport workers’ unions are involved in the strike, the protest is expected to cause at least some level of disruption at all of Italy’s major airports, especially at check-in desks and in baggage collection areas.

See the latest information about Sunday’s airport strikes in our article here.

Airline passengers may face delays or cancellations on Sunday, June 4th due to a national airport handling staff strike. Photo by Andre PAIN / AFP

June 7th – Start of school summer holidays

Italian schools all start their summer break in June, with kids on holiday until September.

However, the dates for the end of the 2022-2023 school year vary from region to region.

Here are the end of term dates by region:

June 7th: Emilia Romagna
June 8th: Lombardy and Lazio
June 9th: Trentino
June 10th: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Liguria, Piedmont, Marche, Tuscany, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Abruzzo, Umbria, Sicily, Sardinia
June 15th: Aosta Valley
June 16th: Autonomous province of Bolzano

Children at Italian schools will all go on their summer breaks in June, though the exact dates vary from region to region. Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

June 7th and 10th – Major football events

Two major European football finals will take place in June, with an Italian team pitted against an English side in both contests.

Florence’s football team Fiorentina will take on West Ham in the UEFA Conference League epilogue on Wednesday, June 7th, while Inter Milan will face Manchester City in a battle for the UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, June 10th.

Florence and Milan residents should expect city-wide celebrations and late-night parties if their local team wins.

June 15th – Museum ticket prices increase

Ticket prices will go up by €1 across all of Italy’s state-run museums this summer in what the government says is a temporary hike to help fund the restoration of cultural heritage sites damaged by flooding.

The price increase will be in place from June 15th to September 15th this year, according to reports.

The measure was announced as part of an aid package worth €2 billion for the north-eastern Emilia-Romagna region, where floods in mid-May killed at least 14 people and caused severe damage to buildings.

Money raised by the measure will go towards restoration work on museums, libraries and monuments damaged by flooding in the region, the government said.

June 16th – The start of tax season

We’re sure you’ll be thrilled to hear that this month brings the first Italian tax deadlines of the year.

Tax season begins with the IMU property tax deadline on June 16th for those who own a second home in the country.

Find out more about paying this tax here.

June 24th – Aid concert for Emilia Romagna

Italy’s culture ministry has announced a concert to raise funds for the northeastern region of Emilia-Romagna, after it was left devastated by severe flooding in mid-May.

The ‘Italia loves Romagna’ concert will be held at the Campovolo venue in Reggio Emilia on Saturday, June 24th, and tickets are on sale via Vivaticket, TicketOne and Ticketmaster.

It will feature Italian acts including Blanco, Elisa, Luciano Ligabue, Fiorella Mannoia, Gianni Morandi, Negramaro, Laura Pausini, Salmo, Zucchero, and more.

Culture undersecretary Gianmarco Mazzi said the concert aimed to raise as much money as possible for those affected by the floods, and also to encourage people to visit the region this summer to help it recover.

The even comes 11 years after a similar concert was held to raise funds to support the Emilia Romagna region’s recovery from two earthquakes which left 27 dead.

June 30th – Income tax payment due

For those who pay income tax in Italy, the first instalments of Italy’s personal (Irpef) and corporate (Ires and Irap) income taxes is due by Friday, June 30th.

The second instalment of income tax will be due by November 30th.

Find out more about the deadlines for paying these taxes here.