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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

Airline and airport staff strikes, a cap on tourist group sizes in Venice and Republic Day celebrations: here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Members of Italy's Corrazzieri guard pictured in front of Rome's Colosseum
Members of Italy's Corrazzieri guard pictured in front of Rome's Colosseum during a military parade marking Italy's Republic Day. Photo by Paolo Giandotti / QUIRINALE PRESS OFFICE / AFP

Tuesday

Airline and airport staff strikes

People flying to or from Italy may face disruption on Tuesday, May 28th, due to a number of planned airline and ground airport staff strikes. 

Cabin staff at Air Dolomiti – a subsidiary of Lufthansa which operates a number of routes from northern Italy to Germany and vice versa – plan to strike for 24 hours, whereas staff at budget carrier Wizz Air plan a four-hour strike, from 1pm to 5pm. 

Scheduled flights from both airlines may experience delays and/or cancellations during the day, though services from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm will go ahead as normal according to Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority. 

On the same day, handling staff at a number of airports around the country, including Linate and Malpensa in Milan and Venice’s Marco Polo airport, will take part in a 24-hour walkout. 

The protest may result in delays or cancellations at the involved airport hubs, according to Italian media reports.

Follow the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

Wednesday

Fiorentina take on Olympiacos in Conference League final

Florence-based team Fiorentina will take on Greek side Olympiacos in the final act of this year’s Conference League – Europe’s third-tier football tournament after the Champions League and Europa League – at the Agia Sophia stadium in Athens on Wednesday, May 29th.

Football fans in Italy will be able to watch the final for free on TV8 (channel eight on Italian TV sets). Kickoff is set for 9pm Italian time.

Thursday

Civil Protection to run earthquake evacuation tests in Campi Flegrei

Italy’s Civil Protection Department will run a series of planned seismic evacuation tests in Italy’s volcanic Campi Flegrei area, on Thursday, May 30th and Friday, May 31st after the region was hit by a flurry of around 150 tremors, including a powerful 4.4-magnitude quake, last Monday.

The tests are set to involve residents of Pozzuoli and Bagnoli, and will simulate a ‘type-3 situation’ – the worst possible scenario in the event of a quake. 

Located just west of Naples, the Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic caldera – the hollow left after an eruption – which is estimated to be home to around 350,000 people

Though the region is no stranger to quakes, seismic activity has intensified in the past two years, raising fears of an imminent eruption.

READ ALSO: Do scientists think the Campi Flegrei will actually erupt anytime soon?

Saturday

Venice to limit tourist group size and ban loudspeakers

A planned cap on the size of tourist groups will come into force in Venice from Saturday, June 1st as part of local authorities’ efforts to reduce the pressure of thousands of visitors crowding squares, bridges and narrow calli every day, and improve the lives of locals. 

Under the measure, groups visiting the city’s historic centre and the nearby islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello, will be limited to a maximum of 25 people in a bid to promote “sustainable tourism” and ensure “the protection and safety of the city,” according to Venice’s safety councillor Elisabetta Pesce.

A view of Venice's Saint Marl's Square

A view of Venice’s Saint Marl’s Square in June 2019. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

A ban on loudspeakers will also come into force on Saturday to prevent “confusion and disturbance” in the city, Pesce said.

The measures will be introduced one and a half months after Venice launched its trial of a contested five-euro entry charge for day trippers visiting the city on a total of 29 dates in 2024.

Sunday

Republic Day celebrations

On Sunday, June 2nd, Italy marks Republic Day (or Festa della Repubblica) – a national public holiday commemorating the birth of the Italian Republic as we have it today.

Republic Day marks the date in 1946 when 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, and establish a democratic republic.

Unfortunately, this year’s Republic Day falls on a Sunday, meaning it won’t give people in the country an extra day off.

That said, plenty of celebrations will take place on the day, especially in Rome, where an official ceremony attended by head of state Sergio Mattarella will be followed by a military parade along the Fori Imperiali and by a flyover from Italy’s Frecce Tricolori jets.

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, June 2nd 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 out more about how the scheme works in our article.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From patron saint celebrations in Florence and Rome to an income tax deadline, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

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

Monday

Patron saint celebrations in Florence

Tuscany’s capital will celebrate its patron saint, John the Baptist, on Monday, June 24th.

The Festa di San Giovanni is a local holiday in Florence, meaning that many around the city will get the day off.

As is tradition, a number of cultural events and religious ceremonies will mark the festival, with the highlights of the day including a historical costume parade winding its way through the city centre, a live music concert on the Zecca Vecchia bank of the Arno river and a 40-minute firework show at 10pm.

Italy takes on Croatia in decisive Euro 2024 match

The Italian national football team will face Croatia in its last group stage match of Euro 2024 on Monday, June 24th.

After beating Albania 2-1 in their opening game, the Azzurri lost 1-0 to a dominant Spain side on Thursday and will now have to avoid defeat against Croatia to qualify for the knockout stage as group runners-up.

Players from Italy's national football team pictured during an international friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina

Players from Italy’s national football team pictured during an international friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 2024. Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP

The game will be held at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, with kickoff set for 9pm Italian time. For details on how to watch Euro 2024 matches in Italy, see our guide.

Wednesday

Deadline to apply for proxy vote in UK election

British nationals living outside the UK, including in Italy, have until 5pm British Summer Time on Wednesday, June 26th to apply to vote by proxy in the July 4th general election. 

In order to complete your application you’ll need your National Insurance number or any other identity document, address and contact details of your proxy, and a photo of your handwritten signature.

Find further details on applying for a proxy vote on the UK government’s website.

24-hour public transport strike in Milan

Commuters in Milan may face delays and or cancellations on Wednesday, June 26th as staff at public transport operator ATM plan to strike for 24 hours.

The walkout is set to affect the normal operation of buses, trams and underground trains, but shouldn’t impact long-distance trains and taxi services.

READ ALSO: Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

A tram rides past a junction in downtown Milan

A tram rides past a junction in downtown Milan. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

ATM is expected to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (or servizi minimi) at peak commute hours on Wednesday. Details on these should become available closer to the date of the strike. 

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

Friday

Two Worlds Festival in Spoleto

The popular Festival dei Due Mondi (or Two Worlds Festival) – a 17-day event featuring a full programme of music, opera and theatre performances – will return to Spoleto, in the central Umbria region, on Friday, June 28th. 

The festival was founded by Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958 and was originally twinned with the Spoleto Festival USA held in Charleston, South Carolina, with the intention of marrying the ‘two worlds’ of American and European culture.

READ ALSO: Nine unmissable events in Italy in summer 2024

For further info on all of this year’s scheduled events, see the festival’s website.

Saturday

Rome celebrates Saints Peter and Paul

Rome residents will celebrate local patron saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, June 29th.

Though the annual Festa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo is a local holiday in the capital, it won’t give residents an extra day off this year as it falls on a non-working day.

That said, the day will be marked by the usual mix of religious and secular celebrations, which will culminate in the traditional firework display over the Pincian Hill, in the northeastern quadrant of the city centre, in the evening.

Sunday

Irpef income tax deadline

The deadline for paying the first instalment of Italy’s personal income tax Irpef falls on Sunday, June 30th this year. 

Payment must be made through modello F24 (form F24). The Italian tax office offers guidance on how to fill out and submit the form, though this is currently only available in Italian.

The deadline for making the second payment falls on November 30th.

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