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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From another strike affecting air travel to a public holiday, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 29 May 2023 10:13 CEST
On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week
An air show in Rome traditionally marks Republic Day on June 2nd. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP)

Monday

More bad weather on the way?

Summer seems to have arrived at last for most parts of Italy, but an interruption to these balmy conditions is on the way in many areas according to the latest forecasts.

Rain is expected from Monday morning in northwestern regions (Piedmont, Liguria, Aosta Valley and some areas of Lombardy)

Showers and perhaps storms are then expected later in the day for areas along the Tyrrhenian coast (parts of Lazio, Campania, Calabria and southern Tuscany) and the islands, Sicily and Sardinia, in the afternoon.

Wet conditions are expected to linger in the coming days, but should hopefully clear up before the start of the long weekend.

Tuesday

President Mattarella visits flood-hit areas

Italian President Sergio Mattarella will make an official visit to the northeastern Emilia Romagna region on Tuesday, May 30th after devastating floods killed 14 people, displaced tens of thousands and left large swathes of land submerged in mid-May.

READ ALSO: How you can help people affected by flooding in northern Italy

The castle and flooded streets in the town of Lugo, near Ravenna, on May 18, 2023, after flooding across Italy’s northern Emilia Romagna region. (Photo by Federico SCOPPA / AFP)

Martin Scorsese and world-class screenings in Rome

American director Martin Scorsese will be in Rome on Tuesday, May 30th to present Carte Blanche, a collection of five critically acclaimed titles from his extensive filmography.

The event will take place at the outdoor Ettore Scola Theatre in Villa Borghese at 9pm and will be followed by a screening of Mean Streets, one of Scorsese’s best-known works. Entry will be free of charge. 

READ ALSO: Eight things you can do in Rome for free

The entire Carte Blanche collection will be screened at the Ettore Scola Theatre from Monday, May 29th to Sunday, June 4th.

Info on show times and tickets can be found here.

Wednesday

Roma faces Sevilla in Europa League final

AS Roma will take on Spanish side Sevilla on Wednesday, May 31st in the final act of this year’s UEFA Europa League, the second-most prestigious European football competition after the Champions League.

After winning the UEFA Conference League last year, Jose Mourinho’s team will now try to secure another European title in Wednesday’s Budapest showdown.

The match will be screened on Rai1 (channel 1 on Italian TV), with kickoff scheduled for 9pm.

Rome residents can expect city-wide celebrations and late-night parties if the giallorossi win.

Venice Boat Show

TheSalone Nautico, one of Italy’s biggest boating fairs, will return to Venice on Wednesday, May 31st.

The six-day event showcases some 300 vessels from Italy and abroad within the confines of the iconic Arsenale, a complex of former military shipyards repurposed as a large-scale exhibition space.

Tickets are 15 euros each and can be bought here.

Friday

Public holiday

June 2nd is Italy’s Republic Day, or Festa della Repubblica, a national public holiday commemorating the day in 1946 when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in favour of the current constitutional republic.

This year it’s also the start of a three-day weekend for many, as it conveniently falls on a Friday.

READ ALSO: What to expect on Italy’s Republic Day 2023

The extra day off work is traditionally an opportunity to go to the beach, so expect so see plenty of picnic bags and ombrelloni if the weather permits it.

But those aren’t the only things you may come across on June 2nd. From official celebrations to shop closures and reduced public transport, you can find out more about what happens on Republic Day here.

Sunday

Airport staff strike

Airline passengers travelling to or from Italy are once set to face disruption on Sunday, June 4th as handling staff at airports around the country plan 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 disruption at all of Italy’s major airports, especially at check-in desks and baggage collection points.

Staff from several airlines, including Volotea, American Airlines and Emirates, are also set to hold separate protests on this date, which may result in significant flight delays or cancellations.

You can find out more about the strike here.

Free museum openings

People all around Italy will be able to visit museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, June 4th under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ scheme.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Italy’s free museum Sundays

The scheme applies to hundreds of state-run sites, including world-famous attractions the 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 HERE.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From Liberation Day celebrations to the first weekend of Venice's 'tourist tax', here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 21 April 2024 08:07 CEST
On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

Monday

Train strikes in Lombardy and Veneto

Staff at Trenord, which operates regional trains in the Lombardy region, were set to strike from 3am on Monday, April 22nd to 2am on Tuesday, April 23rd for a total of 23 hours.

Trenord stated that regional services, including airport links, may be subject to “changes and/or cancellations” but minimum services were guaranteed to operate from 6am to 9am, and from 6pm to 9pm on Monday. 

Should airport train services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes, the statement said. See Trenord’s website or app for the latest updates.

Trenitalia staff in the Veneto region also planned to strike on Monday, with the walkout set to start at 9am and end at 5pm.

Both interregional and regional services headed to or departing from cities and towns in Veneto may experience delays or cancellations over the course of the strike, according to the latest media reports.

Trenitalia will operate a number of guaranteed services (servizi garantiti) during the strike. See their website for further details. 

Spring’s shooting stars

The Lyrid meteor shower, one of spring’s most fascinating celestial events, is expected to peak during the night between Monday, April 22nd and Tuesday, April 23rd, with an average of 20 meteors expected to cross the sky every hour  

The phenomenon will be visible to the naked eye, though strong lunar light may ‘conceal’ some of the weaker meteors this year.

The best way to catch the shooting stars is to find Vega, the brightest star in the Lyra constellation, which appears in the eastern section of the night sky this time of the year, and wait for the magic to happen. Should you have a hard time finding the star, the Mappa Stellare mobile app might be able to help you.

Thursday

Italy commemorates the fall of Fascism

Thursday, April 25th is Liberation Day (or Festa della Liberazione), which is when Italians celebrate the fall of the Fascist regime and the end of German occupation.

Liberation Day is a national public holiday in Italy, meaning that you’ll get a day off for it. Public offices, schools and most shops will be closed on the day, while state-run museums and archaeological sites will be open, with free admission for all visitors. 

READ ALSO: Why does Italy celebrate Liberation Day on April 25th?

The annual event marks the date in 1945 when Italy’s National Liberation Committee incited a popular insurrection against Nazi-Fascist forces. The uprising eventually resulted in the liberation of all occupied territories and in the capture and execution of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini in Milan.

Liberation Day is one of Italy’s most heartfelt national holidays and is marked by official ceremonies as well as marches featuring renditions of the Bella Ciao anthem.

Venice introduces controversial ‘tourist tax’

Venice will run the first trial of its new fee system for day trippers from Thursday, April 25th to to Sunday, May 5th.

Day trippers (or turisti giornalieri) looking to access Venice between 8.30am and 4pm on these dates will have to pay a five-euro entry fee under local authorities’ plans to regulate crowds and lessen the impact of mass tourism on the city. 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How will Venice’s ‘tourist tax’ work?

Though early plans suggested day trippers would be able to pay the fee at various info points around the city, the charge can currently only be paid by registering on a new online portal.

Besides the 11-day period from April 25th to May 5th, the fee will come into force on all of the remaining weekends in May and June as well as the first two weekends of July.

Friday

Street Photo Festival in Rome

The sixth edition of Italy’s Street Photo Festival will return to Rome on Friday, April 26th, giving photography enthusiasts a chance to attend three days of workshops, photowalks, talks, and exhibitions.

Among the highlights of this year’s festival, renowned English photojournalist Martin Parr will hold a talk at 7.30pm on Saturday, with admission being free of charge. 

Further info on this and other scheduled events can be found here.

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