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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From transport strikes to a hotly-anticipated Berlusconi docuseries, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week
The 'Giro d'Abruzzo', modelled on the Giro d'Italian, is set to take place from Tuesday-Friday this week. Photo by Dario BELINGHERI / AFP.

Monday

Airport strikes

Some passengers may find their journeys disrupted on Monday as air traffic controllers at Italy’s Brindisi airport in the southern region of Puglia have announced a 24-hour strike on Monday, April 8th.

Air traffic control staff at Bari airport, also in Puglia, have also announced a four-hour walkout from 1pm to 5pm.

Flight staff of the regional airline Air Dolomiti, which operates under Lufthansa, have meanwhile said they will strike during the same 24-hour period.

Cancellations and delays are possible between 10am and 6pm, when flights are not protected under Italian law from strike action.

Early closures on Rome metro line A

Rome’s Metro A line will once again close early from April 8th until December 5th to allow maintenance work to be completed ahead of the Vatican’s Jubilee Year 2025, the city’s transport authority has confirmed.

The entire line will close at 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and passengers will be directed to use a replacement bus service.

On Fridays and Saturdays the line is to remain open until the usual time of 1.30am.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said the work was “necessary to address the significant increase in demand for public transport” expected.

Tuesday 

Giro d’Abruzzo begins

The Giro d’Abruzzo – a regional version of the Giro d’Italia cycling championship – is set to kick off on Tuesday, April 9th, ending on Friday, April 12th in L’Aquila, Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2026.

The race will start in the seaside town of Vasto and move on to Chieti, where a number of schools will be closed from lunchtime onwards to make space for the race.

Thursday

Berlusconi docuseries to air on Netflix

A documentary series about the controversial business mogul and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died last June, is set to stream on Netflix from Thursday, April 11th.

Il Giovane Berlusconi (The Young Berlusconi), consists of three 50-minute episodes covering the politician’s trajectory from entrepreneur in the mid-70s to his entry into Italy’s political arena in 1994, and reportedly features previously unseen archival footage.

Il Giovane Berlusconi covers the period up until the showman leader’s entry into politics in 1994. Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP.

General transport strike

A four-hour general strike called by two of Italy’s largest workers’ unions is set to cause disruption to public transport services on Thursday, April 11th.

The strike, announced by the CGIL and UIL unions to protest for better worker safety conditions and an income tax reform, is expected to shut down some train services between 9am and 1pm. No further details were available at the time of writing.

Staff working for local transport providers, meanwhile, are expected to strike for different four-hour windows from city to city.

Sunday

Genoa half marathon

Genoa’s 21-kilometre half marathon is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 14th, following a circular route that starts and finishes at the Porto Antico and takes in the city’s aquarium and the picturesque fishing village of Boccadasse.

In addition to the main race, there will also be a 4km family run and shorter 13 km run.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From the start of tax filing season to a nationwide taxi drivers' strike, here's what to expect in Italy this week.

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

Monday

Start of Italy’s tax filing season

Monday, May 20th is the earliest date from which some taxpayers in Italy can begin to submit their yearly income tax returns via form 730 (or modello 730).

There are two types of income tax declaration form in Italy: generally speaking, employees and retirees use form 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 modello redditi persone fisiche (‘natural persons’ income form’).

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

You can find this year’s submission deadlines for both forms here.

Tuesday 

Nationwide taxi drivers’ strike 

Cab services around the country may be significantly limited on Tuesday, May 21st as taxi drivers plan to strike from 8am to 10pm, for a total of 14 hours.

The protest was called earlier this month in protest against a planned reform of the taxi sector aimed at resolving long-standing cab shortages and reducing waiting times for customers.

READ ALSO: Italy’s taxi drivers plan ‘biggest ever’ strike over planned industry reform

There are currently no details as to exactly how many drivers will participate in the walkout, but anyone planning to use taxi services on the day should be prepared to find alternative transportation.

Wednesday

Europa League final 

Bergamo-based team Atalanta will take on German side Bayer Leverkusen in the final act of this year’s Europa League – Europe’s second-biggest football competition after the Champions League – at the Aviva Arena in Dublin on Wednesday, May 22nd.

Football fans in Italy will be able to watch the final for free on Rai1 (channel one on Italian TV sets) or on Rai’s online streaming platform RaiPlay. Kickoff’s set for 9pm Italian time.

Thursday

32nd anniversary of Capaci bombing 

Thursday, May 23rd will mark the 32nd anniversary of the Capaci bombing (or strage di Capaci in Italian), a terror attack perpetrated by Sicily’s Cosa Nostra which killed anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo and three police escort agents. 

Italian police officers stand in front of a memorial honouring anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone

Italian police officers stand in front of a memorial honouring anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone on the motorway leading to Palermo on May 23rd 2022. Photo by Alessandro FUCARINI / AFP

The May 1992 Capaci bombing is considered one of the darkest pages in recent Italian history but is also credited as having inspired a new generation of anti-mafia crusaders to carry on Falcone’s fight. 

A number of events including marches, talks, and special exhibitions will take place in major cities around the country on Thursday to honour the memory of those who were killed in the Capaci bombing, as well as all other mafia victims, including Falcone’s colleague and close friend Paolo Borsellino.

Friday

New trial hearing for Italian teacher held in Hungary

An Italian teacher currently held in Budapest for allegedly attacking a group of neo-Nazis in February 2023 will attend her first trial hearing after being granted house arrest on Friday, May 24th.

The case of 39-year-old Ilaria Salis, from Monza, north of Milan, has been front-page news in Italy in recent months after footage showing her in court with hands and feet shackled sparked widespread outrage in the country, with figures from both sides of the political spectrum protesting against her detention conditions. 

Salis was granted house arrest on Wednesday after her first home detention request had been denied on flight risk grounds. 

Sunday

Italy’s Giro d’Italia ends with Rome stage

The 2024 edition of the Giro d’Italia, Italy’s most prestigious cycling competition, will come to an end on Sunday, May 26th, with riders set to cross the finish line right by Rome’s monumental Fori Imperiali.

Bora Hansgrohe rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the last stage of Italy's Giro d'Italia

Bora Hansgrohe rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the last stage of Italy’s Giro d’Italia in May 2018 in Rome. Photo by LUK BENIES / AFP

The Rome stage of the Giro will once again attract thousands of cycling enthusiasts from all around the country, with fans expected to crowd both sides of the central Via San Gregorio just to get a glimpse of the final sprint. 

For further info about the event, see the Comune di Roma’s website and the Giro d’Italia Rome stage page.

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