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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From free entry to state-run museums for women to a nationwide general strike, here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 4 March 2024 09:22 CET
Rome strike transport
Passengers stand in front of a departure board at Rome's Termini station during a nationwide transport strike. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Monday

New stint of heavy rain and strong winds

The storms, rain and snow that hit Italy last week are set to continue into Monday, according to weather site 3bmeteo.

The north of the country should experience rain in the morning that clears up by early evening, while the centre-south can expect to see scattered rain and thunderstorms along with stormy gusts from the Tyrrhenian Sea, bringing temperatures down.

End of winter sales 

Businesses in eight Italian regions, including Lombardy and Tuscany, will close their winter sales season on Monday. 

The end dates of Italy’s winter saldi vary from region to region, with shops in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Aosta Valley being the last ones to end discounts on March 31st. You can find the exact end dates of each region’s winter sales here.

During both winter and summer sales, Italian shops apply discounts that generally hover between 20 and 30 percent but can climb as high as 70 percent.

Tuesday

Heavily discounted cinema tickets in Veneto

A number of selected screenings at cinemas around Veneto, northern Italy, will be sold at a discounted price of three euros on Tuesday, March 5th as part of the region’s Martedi’ al Cinema (‘Cinema Tuesdays’) scheme.

A full list of cinemas and screenings involved in the initiative can be found here.

Besides March 5th, the scheme will run on all the remaining Tuesdays in March (March 12th, 19th, 26th) as well as all Tuesdays in May and November. 

Veneto filmgoers will have access to 3 euro screenings on Tuesday, March 5th. Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash

Friday

International Women’s Day 

Friday, March 8th will mark International Women’s Day, or Festa della Donna in Italian.

While the day is not an official national holiday in Italy, it is generally recognised in the form of local celebrations and cultural events all around the country.

For the occasion, entry to Italy’s state-run museums and archaeological sites, including the Colosseum, Pompeii and the Uffizi galleries, will be free of charge for women.

You can expect to see Italian florists work overtime on Friday as, according to a uniquely Italian tradition, men will give the women in their families yellow mimosa flowers.

Nationwide general strike

Airline, rail and public transport passengers around the country may face delays and/or cancellations on Friday, March 8th due to a 24-hour general strike backed by four of Italy’s major trade unions. 

This is expected to be one of the most disruptive walkouts of the month as it will involve staff from both public and private transport operators, with local, regional and national services all set to be affected.

READ ALSO: The Italian transport strikes that will hit travel in March 2024

Besides the transport sector, Friday’s protest is expected to impact the normal operation of non-emergency healthcare services at public hospitals and clinics as well as teaching hours and lessons at public schools and universities.

Saturday

Italy take on Scotland in Six Nations Rome fixture

Round 4 of the Six Nations Championship will see Italy’s national rugby team face Scotland at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, March 9th.

The game will be broadcast free of charge on TV8 (channel eight on most TV sets in Italy), with kickoff set for 3.15pm Italian time.

Those wishing to see the game at the stadio can grab their tickets here.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From a nationwide public transport strike to talks over a contested electoral reform, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 5 May 2024 10:23 CEST
On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week

Monday

Nationwide public transport strike 

Commuters in Italy may face delays and/or cancellations on Monday, May 6th as staff at public transport operators around the country plan to strike for 24 hours. 

The protest, which is backed by some of Italy’s largest transport unions, may affect the normal operation of bus, subway and tram services but shouldn’t impact scheduled interregional and long-distance train journeys. 

The level of disruption caused by the walkout will vary from city to city, with services in large metropolitan areas currently expected to be among the most heavily affected. 

READ ALSO: The transport strikes that will hit travel in Italy in May 2024

All public transport operators in Italy are required to provide a number of ‘minimum services’ (servizi minimi) during strikes, but their exact times will vary by city and operator. 

Rai journalists’ 24-hour strike 

Scheduled TV and radio programmes from Italy’s state network Rai may be subject to changes at the start of this week as journalists with the broadcaster plan to take part in a 24-hour strike starting at 5.30pm on Monday, May 6th and ending at 5.30pm on Tuesday, May 7th. 

The walkout was called by reporters’ trade union Usigrai in late April in protest against “the suffocating control” exerted over their work by the current right-wing administration and recent attempts “to reduce Rai to a megaphone for the government”, the union said.

Tennis fever in Rome

The 2024 edition of the Internazionali d’Italia – Italy’s most prestigious tennis tournament – will unfold at Rome’s Foro Italico venue from Monday, May 6th to Sunday, May 19th.

Rome’s city council has estimated that some 350,000 fans will attend this year’s tournament.

A general view of the Nicola Pietrangeli court during the Internazionali di Roma tennis tournament

A view of the Nicola Pietrangeli court during the Internazionali di Roma tennis tournament in May 2023. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Wednesday

Senate to discuss plan for direct election of PM

Italy’s upper chamber of parliament will on Wednesday, May 8th, discuss a contested draft law proposing an overhaul of the country’s electoral system.

The planned reform would change article 92 of the Italian Constitution, allowing voters to directly elect the prime minister, creating a system which critics say isn’t found in any other democratic nation in the world.

Thursday

Turin’s International Book Fair

The Salone Internazionale del Libro – Italy’s largest book fair – will return to Turin’s Lingotto Fiere exhibition space on Thursday, May 9th.

As usual, the festival will feature a variety of talks, shows and workshops, with Vita Immaginaria (‘Imaginary Life’) being the central theme of this year’s edition.

Further info on the event can be found here.

Sunday

Air traffic controllers’ strike at Milan’s Malpensa airport

Passengers flying to or from Milan’s Malpensa airport may face disruption on Sunday, May 12th as staff at air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

At the time of writing, no airline had announced changes to the departure or arrival time of scheduled flights to or from Malpensa on Sunday, but potential delays or cancellations couldn’t be ruled out. 

All passengers planning to fly to or from Malpensa on May 12th are advised to check the status of their journey with the relevant airline before setting off.

An interior view of Terminal 1 at Milan's Malpensa Airport

An interior view of Terminal 1 at Milan’s Malpensa Airport in March 2008. Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP

Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 12th will mark Italy’s Mother’s Day (or Festa della Mamma in Italian).

Formally established in 1958, Italy’s Mother’s Day originally fell on May 8th but was moved to the second Sunday of May in 2000 to align the Italian calendar with the American one.

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