Every public holiday in Italy

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Last updated on February 20th, 2024.

When planning an Italy vacation, being informed about Italian public holidays can be helpful during the process. 

While some holidays won’t affect your trip, others might have an impact. In this brief, but helpful guide, I’ll be listing every public holiday in Italy. 

From globally known holidays to important Italian festivities, I’ll also outline the holiday’s meaning and how it may affect you. 

Use this travel guide to help plan your Italy trip.

Coffee, brioche and flag for Festa della Republica in Italy - every public holiday in Italy
Coffee, brioche and flag for Festa della Republica in Italy — every public holiday in Italy

Every public holiday in Italy 

In total, there are 12 official public holidays in Italy. In calendar order, they are: 

  • 1 January (New Year’s Day/Capodanno
  • 6 January (Ephiphany/Epifania
  • Easter Sunday (Pasqua) (date varies each year) 
  • Easter Monday (Pasquetta) (Monday after Easter Sunday) 
  • 25 April Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione): Liberation Day commemorates when the Italian Resistance movement defeated Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic in 1945. Bigger cities like Rome and Florence are more likely to have celebrations.  
  • 1 May (Labor Day) (Festa del Lavoro
  • 2 June (Republic Day) (Festa della Republica): Republic Day remembers the referendum in 1946 where Italians were called to vote to decide the form of government. Most events take place in Rome like the placing of a floral wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is followed by a military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali. 
  • 15 August (Ferragosto): Ferragosto derives from the Roman Emperor, Augustus, who introduced the holiday as a day of rest in August. Today, it falls on 15 August to coincide with the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary. Speaking as a local, I’ve never seen anything religious associated with 15 August. For us, Ferragosto is a day that we spend at the sea or with family and friends. 
  • 1 November (All Saints’ Day) (Ognisanti
  • 8 December (Immaculate Conception) (Immaculata
  • 25 December (Christmas Day) (Natale
  • 26 December (St Stephen’s Day) (Santo Stefano

The region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol has an extra day’s holiday.

It celebrates Whit Monday, the day after Pentecost Sunday, usually towards the end of May. Whit Monday replaces the holiday of the patron saint of the region’s capital, Bolzano. 

Beach in Ortigia Siracuse, Sicily - every public holiday in Italy
The beach in Ortigia Siracuse, Sicily is popular for Ferragosto

Is everything closed on public holidays in Italy? 

Many workplaces and services are typically closed on public holidays in Italy. However, airports across Italy, train stations and hotels should operate as usual.  

Speaking from personal experience, shops open on a case-by-case basis on public holidays in Italy. Supermarkets usually run reduced opening hours and shopping centers (centro commerciale) are also open. In larger cities like Rome, you probably wouldn’t even know it’s a public holiday. 

If a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many Italians take advantage by making a ponte (bridge). This is to extend the holiday by turning it into a long weekend. Schools will also be closed in this instance, so be prepared to see more kids than usual. 

Best to know 

When booking your vacation to Italy, it’s important to consider when is the best time to visit.

We made the mistake of traveling one August in Sicily on Ferragosto. There were no train services running and the only option available to us was a very expensive taxi ride. 

Map of Italy

View of people attending Festa of Santa Lucia in Savoca - every public holiday in Italy
People attending the Festa of Santa Lucia in Savoca in August

Other notable Italian dates 

The following aren’t official public holidays in Italy, but are noteworthy dates nonetheless.  

7 January – Tricolor Day 

Festa del Tricolore marks the day when the Italian tricolor flag was adopted by the state. 

26 January – National Day of Remembrance and sacrifice of the Alpini 

The day recognizes the Alpine soldiers that lost their lives in battle 

17 March – Anniversary of the Unification of Italy 

The Anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia celebrates the birth of Italy as a modern nation state. 

19 March – St. Joseph’s Day 

St. Joseph’s Day in Italy is also Father’s Day (festa del papà).  

Celebrating the patron saint 

Alongside the 12 national public holidays in Italy, each city and town also have their own festivities.

They honor the city/town’s patron saint. Most services remain open, and many locals come together to celebrate. 

Some of the larger city’s festivals include: 

  • Catania, 3-5 February and on 17 August (Saint Agata) 
  • Venice, 25 April (Saint Mark the Evangelist) 
  • Florence, 24 June (Saint John the Baptist) 
  • Rome, 29 June (Saints Peter and Paul) 
  • Naples, 19 September (Saint Januarius) 
  • Milan, 7 December (Saint Ambrose) 

A separate festival, not connected to a saint, but considered extremely important is the Festa del Redentore in Venice.

The Feast of the Redeemer, also known as Festa Famosissima, is celebrated every third Sunday of July in Venice. Taking place on the island of Giudecca, it remembers the end of the plague that ravaged much of Europe.

A Sicilian festa 

Every August in the Sicilian borgo of Savoca, the locals celebrate their patron saint, Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). It’s a lively and colorful day that includes dramatic reenactments, quirky characters, bulls and a girl playing ‘Santa Lucia’. 

Men in costume for the Festa of Santa Lucia in Savoca
Men in costume for the Festa of Santa Lucia in Savoca

Savoca’s celebration always takes place on the second Sunday of August, meaning everyone’s free to join the festivities. 

What are your thoughts on this post listing every public holiday in Italy? Is there anything that surprised you? Let me know in the comments below. 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.

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Christmas cake in Italy - public_holidays_in_italy

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18 thoughts on “Every public holiday in Italy

  1. Melissa Cushing says:

    I so want to visit Italy some day as my husband has family there and it is stunningly beautiful where they live. These are great tips to keep in mind when traveling there too so thank you for sharing!

  2. Khushboo says:

    Your posts are so helpful for people who are planning to travel to Italy you give lot of information which people might not now. This list of public holiday is helpful to plan trip there.

  3. Tammy says:

    I didn’t even know about many of these holidays! I love how they celebrate together like that and honor their history and culture.

  4. Sienny says:

    Totally can resonate this as personally I will also check out the local festivals at a destination when I’m traveling to. It’s nice to experience the local festivals to learn the cultures & heritage.

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