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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.

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

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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