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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

What changes about life in Italy in June 2023

From an airport strike to museum ticket price hikes, ​​here’s what to expect in Italy over the coming month.

Published: 23 May 2023 16:20 CEST
Updated: 31 May 2023 11:49 CEST
What changes about life in Italy in June 2023
The bronze statue of Perseus holding up the bloody head of Medusa is pictured on Piazza della Signoria in Florence. There will be two opportunities to visit Italian museums for free in June - before ticket prices go up for the rest of summer. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

June 2nd – National public holiday and start of the long weekend

Italy’s Republic Day (or Festa della Repubblica) is a national public holiday, which commemorates the birth of the Italian Republic as we have it today.

On this date in 1946, 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.

READ ALSO: What to expect in Italy on Republic Day 2023

Conveniently, this year’s Republic Day falls on a Friday, which means many people in Italy will enjoy a three-day weekend (unlike in some countries, Italy’s public holidays can fall on any day of the week.)

All public offices (banks, post offices, town halls, etc.) and schools will be closed on the day, though some shops and restaurants, especially in big cities, may remain open. 

Public transport services around the country will operate on a reduced timetable (usually referred to as orario festivo) on June 2nd, while heavier-than-normal traffic can be expected on Italian roads over the weekend. Read more about what to expect here.

Frecce Tricolori jets fly over Rome

The acrobatic unit of Italy’s Air Force, known as ‘Frecce Tricolori’, will fly over Rome on Friday, June 2nd as part of the country’s Republic Day celebrations. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

June 2nd and 4th – Free museum entry

You can visit Italy’s famous attractions free of charge not once cut twice this coming holiday weekend with two special free opening dates on the calendar.

Italy opens the doors of state-run museums and archaeological sites for free every first Sunday of the month under the Domenica al museo or ‘free museum Sundays‘ scheme.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Italy’s free museum Sundays

Plus many of the same sites will offer free access to mark the public holiday, Republic Day, on Friday, June 2nd.

Free museum openings on Republic Day and two other “symbolic” dates were announced by Italy’s culture minister in March in addition to the free Sundays offer.

Participating venues on June 2nd include Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, Bologna’s Pinacoteca Nazionale, the royal palace of Caserta, and the Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia in Rome.

See a full list on the culture ministry’s website here.

June 4th – Airport staff strike

Airline passengers travelling to or from Italy are set to face disruption on Sunday, June 4th as airport handling staff around the country are set to take part in a 24-hour walkout. 

As at least four of Italy’s largest transport workers’ unions are involved in the strike, the protest is expected to cause at least some level of disruption at all of Italy’s major airports, especially at check-in desks and in baggage collection areas.

See the latest information about Sunday’s airport strikes in our article here.

Empty check-in desks at an airport

Airline passengers may face delays or cancellations on Sunday, June 4th due to a national airport handling staff strike. Photo by Andre PAIN / AFP
 
June 7th – Start of school summer holidays

Italian schools all start their summer break in June, with kids on holiday until September.

However, the dates for the end of the 2022-2023 school year vary from region to region. 

Here are the end of term dates by region: 

  • June 7th: Emilia Romagna
  • June 8th: Lombardy and Lazio
  • June 9th: Trentino
  • June 10th: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Liguria, Piedmont, Marche, Tuscany, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Abruzzo, Umbria, Sicily, Sardinia
  • June 15th: Aosta Valley
  • June 16th: Autonomous province of Bolzano

Children diving into the sea in Italy

Children at Italian schools will all go on their summer breaks in June, though the exact dates vary from region to region. Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

June 7th and 10th – Major football events

Two major European football finals will take place in June, with an Italian team pitted against an English side in both contests.

Florence’s football team Fiorentina will take on West Ham in the UEFA Conference League epilogue on Wednesday, June 7th, while Inter Milan will face Manchester City in a battle for the UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, June 10th. 

Florence and Milan residents should expect city-wide celebrations and late-night parties if their local team wins.

June 15th – Museum ticket prices increase

Ticket prices will go up by €1 across all of Italy’s state-run museums this summer in what the government says is a temporary hike to help fund the restoration of cultural heritage sites damaged by flooding.
 
The price increase will be in place from June 15th to September 15th this year, according to reports.
 
The measure was announced as part of an aid package worth €2 billion for the north-eastern Emilia-Romagna region, where floods in mid-May killed at least 14 people and caused severe damage to buildings.
 
Money raised by the measure will go towards restoration work on museums, libraries and monuments damaged by flooding in the region, the government said.

June 16th – The start of tax season

We’re sure you’ll be thrilled to hear that this month brings the first Italian tax deadlines of the year.

READ ALSO: The Italian tax calendar for 2023: Which taxes are due when?

Tax season begins with the IMU property tax deadline on June 16th for those who own a second home in the country.

Find out more about paying this tax here.

Italian Revenue Agency office

June 24th – Aid concert for Emilia Romagna

Italy’s culture ministry has announced a concert to raise funds for the northeastern region of Emilia-Romagna, after it was left devastated by severe flooding in mid-May.

The ‘Italia loves Romagna’ concert will be held at the Campovolo venue in Reggio Emilia on Saturday, June 24th, and tickets are on sale via Vivaticket, TicketOne and Ticketmaster.

It will feature Italian acts including Blanco, Elisa, Luciano Ligabue, Fiorella Mannoia, Gianni Morandi, Negramaro, Laura Pausini, Salmo, Zucchero, and more.

Culture undersecretary Gianmarco Mazzi said the concert aimed to raise as much money as possible for those affected by the floods, and also to encourage people to visit the region this summer to help it recover.

The even comes 11 years after a similar concert was held to raise funds to support the Emilia Romagna region’s recovery from two earthquakes which left 27 dead.

June 30th – Income tax payment due

For those who pay income tax in Italy, the first instalments of Italy’s personal (Irpef) and corporate (Ires and Irap) income taxes is due by Friday, June 30th. 

The second instalment of income tax will be due by November 30th.

Find out more about the deadlines for paying these taxes here.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

What changes about life in Italy in October 2024

From the government’s 2025 budget plan to an income tax declaration deadline and a host of food festivals, here's what you can expect in Italy next month.

Published: 18 September 2024 16:10 CEST
What changes about life in Italy in October 2024

2025 budget plan

Italy’s government is currently busy working on its 2025 budget law, with the first draft due to be submitted to the EU by October 15th and then to the Italian parliament by October 20th.

That said, the initial draft is likely to be far from the final version as Italy’s lower house and senate have until the end of the year to revise its text.

The ruling coalition said in a joint statement in early September that the 2025 budget bill will “continue along the path of a serious, balanced budgetary policy,” concentrating the available resources on “families, businesses, young people and the birth rate”.

New ‘tourist trains’ link Rome with Assisi and Alba

Two new tourist-focused rail routes linking Rome with the mediaeval hill town of Assisi, in the central Umbria region, and Alba, a small town in the northern Piedmont region famous for its truffles, are set to launch in early October.

The two upcoming rail links are part of Italy’s Treni Turistici Italiani (‘Italian Tourist Trains’) – a series of new services intended by state-owned operator Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) as a way to boost train travel to popular holiday destinations, as well as lesser-known parts of the peninsula. You can see further details about the new routes here.

Autumn cultural heritage days

Hundreds of cultural sites across Italy will open their doors to the public on Saturday, October 12th, and Sunday, October 13th, under the popular Giornate FAI d’Autunno, or ‘FAI Autumn days’ – an event organised by cultural heritage society Fondo Ambiente Italiano (the Italian equivalent of the UK’s National Trust).

Many of the participating sites, including villas, castles, churches, abbeys, parks, and theatres, are not usually open to the public or are otherwise difficult to visit.

For details on the list of sites that will be included in this year’s Autumn Days, keep an eye on FAI’s website, which is due to be updated in the first week of October. 

Window to switch from summer to winter tyres opens

Under the Italian Highway Code, motorists are required to equip their vehicles with winter tires (or, alternatively, have snow chains on board) during the cold season.

The window to make the switch opens on October 15th, but the requirement and penalties for not following it only come into force on November 15th.

After the one-month window closes, drivers breaking the rules face hefty fines plus the requirement to undergo a revisione (the Italian equivalent of a UK MOT test).

Italy’s winter tyres requirement is a frequent source of confusion as it doesn’t apply to all vehicles. See our article to find out whether or not it applies to you.

Transport strikes

Italian trade unions have announced multiple protests for the first half of October, starting with a 24-hour nationwide public transport strike on October 5th. 

You can see a list of all planned walkouts in our autumn strike calendar. 

Local food festivals 

October is by far the month with the most sagre – harvest festivals or fairs centred around one particular food item local to the town hosting it.

A sagra has a fairly broad definition: it could last for several weeks or one day, and might consist of anything from lively celebrations with music and dancing to relaxed tasting experiences. All festivals however are centred on eating (or drinking) fresh local produce.

We rounded up some of the best sagre you can stop by next month here.

Clocks go back

Clocks will go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday, October 27th, as Italy and all other EU member states switch from daylight savings time to standard time.

This means you’ll get an extra hour in bed on Sunday, but the evenings will feel a lot darker after the time change.

Digital clocks on computers or phones should update automatically, but get ready to frantically search for the manual to your oven so you can figure out how to change its display on the 27th.

Income tax declaration deadline 

The window to file the modello persone fisiche (or modello PF) – Italy’s main income tax return form for self-employed individuals and foreign residents – will close on October 31st.

Taxpayers who are required to file the modello PF are strongly advised to keep the October deadline in mind as the Italian taxman shows little in the way of leniency when it comes to late filing and failure to file.

The main tax dates for the remainder of 2024 can be found in our calendar.

Halloween celebrations

Halloween is not as big in Italy as it is elsewhere – Italians traditionally celebrate All Saints (Ognissanti) on November 1st instead – but you can still expect to see kids dressed up in creepy costumes roam the neighbourhood on October 31st.

And, while the practice is not as ubiquitous as it is in the US, you may find you get a few mini ghouls or witches knocking on your door shouting “dolcetto o scherzetto!” (trick or treat).

Do you know about any other events or activities happening in October that you think we should feature? Let us know in the comments section below or via email at news@thelocal.it

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