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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

From Easter Monday to World Carbonara Day events and free museum openings, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 31 March 2024 08:05 CEST
Rome park, Italy
Young people sit in a park in Rome with an ancient Roman aqueduct in the background. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Monday

Easter Monday

Easter Monday, falling on April 1st this year, is known in Italy as Pasquetta, literally ‘little Easter’, or Lunedì dell’Angelo (‘Monday of the Angel’), in reference to the Gospels’ account of an angel appearing to women gathered at Jesus’s grave and telling them He had risen. 

Though it has less religious significance than Good Friday, unlike Venerdì santo, Easter Monday is a national public holiday, which means you’ll get a day off for it. 

READ ALSO: What’s open and what’s closed in Italy over Easter weekend?

If you’re in Italy on Monday, you can expect limited public transport services and reduced opening hours for shops and supermarkets. Motorists on Italian roads can also expect heavy traffic throughout the day, with possibly critical congestion in the afternoon and evening.

April Fool’s Day

This year’s Easter Monday public holiday coincides with April Fool’s Day, which is generally known in Italy as Pesce d’Aprile (literally ‘April’s fish’).

The name comes from a common prank that involves sticking a drawing of a fish onto the back of an unsuspecting victim and then asking them if they’ve seen ‘April’s fish’.

Though it’s not clear where exactly this tradition comes from, the pesce d’aprile is a popular prank in Italy, so you might want to ‘watch your back’ on the day.

ITA Airways launches new Rome Fiumicino-London City direct flight

Italy’s flag carrier ITA Airways will launch a new direct service between Rome Fiumicino and London City Airport on Monday, with the airline set to operate 12 direct flights from Rome to London and 12 direct flights in the opposite direction every week. 

ITA Airways said last December that the new service would meet “significant demand on the part of both leisure and business customers in the two capitals”.

ITA Airways

An ITA Airways plane on the runway of Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Wednesday

Pupils return to school

Schools across most of Italy are set to reopen on Wednesday, April 3rd, after being closed since Maundy Thursday, falling on March 28th.

The one exception is the northwestern Aosta Valley region, where pupils are scheduled to return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd – a day earlier than the rest of the country.

Dates may differ for private institutions.

Saturday

World Carbonara Day

Pasta lovers around the world will get have an excuse to enjoy pasta alla carbonara – one of the signature dishes of traditional Roman cuisine – on Saturday, April 6th, which marks the annual international Carbonara Day.

Plenty of restaurants and food markets around Italy will hold special carbonara-themed events on Saturday. For instance, chef Barbara Agosti will offer a ‘wild’ take on the classic carbonara recipe in her Milan restaurant Eggs.

READ ALSO: Ask an Italian: What are the unbreakable rules for making real pasta carbonara?

People in Rome meanwhile will get a chance to “learn all the secrets” to making the perfect carbonara by attending a three-hour culinary course organised by food magazine Gambero Rosso.

Pasta alla carbonara

A chef plates up a small portion of ‘spaghetti alla carbonara’. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Sunday

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, April 7th 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. 

See more information about Italy’s free museum Sundays scheme here.

Milan marathon

The 22nd edition of the Milan marathon will take place on Sunday, April 7th, with the start time set for 8.30am.

The 42-kilometre race will start and finish in the central Piazza del Duomo, with participants set to run by some of Milan’s most iconic monuments, including the Castello Sforzesco, the Arco della Pace and San Siro stadium.

Besides the main race, three parallel events will take place on the day: a non-competitive relay marathon with profits going to national or international non-profit organisations, a 3-kilometre family run and a dog run, where participants will run alongside their four-legged friends.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

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

A key tax date for homeowners and a parliamentary vote on controversial electoral reform: here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 16 June 2024 08:22 CEST
On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week

Monday

Italy’s property tax deadline

Homeowners will have until the end of Monday, June 17th, to pay the first instalment of Italy’s property tax IMU (Imposta Municipale Unica, or Unified Municipal Tax). 

The first IMU deadline normally falls on June 16th but it was moved to June 17th this year as June 16th is a Sunday.

IMU, whose exact amount varies by the type, value and location of a property, is not owed by all homeowners in Italy. To see whether or not the tax applies to you, see our article. 

Tax return deadline for Americans living abroad

US nationals living outside the States, including in Italy, must file their annual federal income tax return by Monday, June 17th this year.

The standard deadline for American taxpayers living in the States is April 15th, but foreign residents are granted an automatic two-month extension to June 15th. As June 15th fell on a Saturday this year, the deadline was moved to the nearest following working day: June 17th.

READ ALSO: Do US nationals in Italy have to pay taxes twice?

Foreign residents who are unable to file their tax return by the automatic extension date can request an additional extension to October 15th.

A closeup of an American 1040 income tax form

A closeup of an American 1040 income tax form. Photo by JOE RAEDLE / Getty Images via AFP

Tuesday

Voter registration deadline for Brits 

British nationals anywhere in the world have until 11.59pm British Summer Time on Tuesday, June 18th, to register to vote in the July 4th general election. 

Most voters can register online, with the process taking around 5 minutes. If you previously were disbarred from voting due to the 15-year rule, you should register here.

READ ALSO: How Brits living in Europe can register to vote for UK election

If you live outside the UK, you’ll also have to choose how you want to vote after registering. There are two options: a postal vote, where you’re sent a ballot paper that will need to reach the polls by polling day, or a proxy vote, where a UK-based voter you trust can vote on your behalf.

The deadlines to choose your voting option can be found here.

Senate to vote on contested electoral reform bill

Italy’s upper house of parliament will vote on a controversial electoral reform bill on Tuesday after senators approved one of its key articles last Wednesday.

The reform, which proposes an overhaul of the current electoral system by allowing voters to directly elect the prime minister, is seen as necessary for Italy’s political stability by PM Giorgia Meloni. 

But critics have said that the proposed system isn’t found in any other democratic nation in the world and would dangerously deplete the President of the Republic’s powers.

A constitutional reform in Italy must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, or else be put to a referendum. Meloni’s coalition currently lacks such a majority in both houses.

Opposition parties to stage Rome protest after parliament brawl

Italy’s opposition parties will stage a protest in Rome on Tuesday after a brawl in the lower house of parliament last Wednesday resulted in a Five-Star Movement MP being injured and needing medical attention.

The rally, which is backed by the Five-Star Movement, the Democratic Party, the Green-Left Alliance and More Europe, was called in response to “a climate of continuous intimidation” enforced by the ruling majority. 

The protest was scheduled to take place in Rome’s Piazza Santissimi Apostoli at 5.30pm.

Thursday

Italy takes on Spain in second Euro 2024 match

The Italian national football team will face Spain in its second group stage match of the 2024 European Championship on Thursday, June 20th.

The game will be held at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, with kickoff set for 9pm Italian time.

For details on how to watch Euro 2024 matches in Italy, see our guide.

Saturday

Venice Art Night

Venice will put on a full programme of cultural events and special evening openings on Saturday, June 22nd, as part of the 13th edition of the popular Art Night scheme.

From museums and galleries to palaces and art foundations, some 150 institutions around the city will keep their doors open to the public until late, with many offering free admission. 

Tickets at select cinemas around the city will also be sold at a discounted price of 3 euros.

For more information on this year’s programme, see the Venice Art Night website. 

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