Public holidays in Italy are established by the Italian parliament and, with the exception of city or community patronal days, apply nationwide. These include a mix of national, religious and local observances. In Italy, there are also State commemoration days, which are not public holidays.
Overview
Italy's National Day, the Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day), is celebrated on 2 June each year, with the main celebration taking place in Rome, and commemorates the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946. The ceremony of the event organized in Rome includes the deposition of a laurel wreath as a tribute to the Italian Unknown Soldier at the Altare della Patria by the President of the Italian Republic and a military parade along Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome.
Liberation Day is a national holiday in Italy that takes place on 25 April commemorating the victory of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic, puppet state of the Nazis and rump state of the fascists, in the Italian Civil War, a civil war in Italy fought during World War II. The date was chosen by convention, as it was the day of the year in 1945 when the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI) officially proclaimed the insurgency in a radio announcement, propounding the seizure of power by the CLNAI and proclaiming the death sentence for all fascist leaders (including Benito Mussolini, who was shot three days later).
17 March was proclaimed a national holiday in 1911, the 50th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, in 1961, the 100th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, and in 2011, the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The law no. 222 of 23 November 2012 the Giornata dell'Unità nazionale, della Costituzione, dell'inno e della bandiera ("Day of National Unity, the Constitution, the anthem and the flag") was established to be celebrated on 17 March of each year, on the day of the proclamation of the Unification of Italy in 1861, however it is not to be considered a festive day.
Until 1977 the following were also considered public holidays in Italy for civil purposes:
19 March, Saint Joseph Day; 40 days after Easter, Ascension of Jesus; 60 days after Easter, Corpus Christi; 29 June, Saints Peter and Paul, patron saints of Rome (it remained a public holiday only in the municipality of Rome); 4 November, National Unity and Armed Forces Day.
These public holidays were suppressed, during the austerity caused by the 1973 oil crisis, on the basis of the law n. 54 of 5 March 1977. In particular, in 1977 National Unity and Armed Forces Day became a moveable feast, and celebrations occurred every first Sunday of November. National Unity and Armed Forces Day is an Italian national day since 1919 which commemorates the victory in World War I, a war event considered the completion of the process of unification of Italy. It is celebrated every 4 November, which is the anniversary of the armistice of Villa Giusti becoming effective in 1918 declaring Austria-Hungary's surrender. Italy entered World War I in 1915 with the aim of completing national unity and for this reason, the Italian intervention in World War I is also considered the Fourth Italian War of Independence, in a historiographical perspective that identifies in the latter the conclusion of the unification of Italy, whose military actions began during the revolutions of 1848 with the First Italian War of Independence.
In addition to the 12 national holidays, each city or town celebrates a public holiday on the occasion of the festival of the local patron saint. For example, Rome on 29 June (Saints Peter and Paul), Milan on 7 December (Saint Ambrose), Naples on 19 September (Saint Januarius), and Florence on 24 June (Saint John the Baptist); Venice celebrates on 21 November (Saint Mary of Health) because the patron day on 25 April (Saint Mark the Evangelist) is also the Liberation Day. In South Tyrol, the holiday is instead on Whit Monday. This makes the total public holidays in Italy 13.
This number does not correspond to the number of days off work as public holidays falling on weekends are not transferred. Instead, when a holiday falls on Sunday, Italian workers receive an extra paid day by law.This is usuali known as the "regola del doppio rosso", the "double red rule", relating to the common use of the red color to mark the festive days on the calendars. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, it is common practice to make a ponte (pl. ponti. English: "bridge") in order to have a long weekend. Schools are usually closed.
Christmas in Italy (in Italian: Natale) begins on 8 December, with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the day on which traditionally the Christmas tree is mounted and ends on 6 January, of the following year with the Epiphany (in Italian: Epifania). The term "Natale" derives from the Latin natalis, which literally means "birth". Easter in Italy () is one of that country's major holidays. Easter in Italy enters Holy Week with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, concluding with Easter Day and Easter Monday. Each day has a special significance.
During the Italian public holidays, peaks of tourist flows in Italy are recorded, particularly in winter due to the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, in spring, due to the Easter holidays, and in summer, due to the favourable climate. For internal tourism, peaks of tourist flows are also recorded on the occasion of the three national civil holidays, Liberation Day (25 April), International Workers' Day (1 May) and the Republic Day (2 June), as well as for three religious holidays, the Ferragosto (15 August), All Saints' Day (1 November) and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December), especially in the presence of ponti.
In 2025, Italy moves to create the Feast of St Francis of Assisi as a public holiday.
Current holidays
Current holidays in Italy are:
DateEnglish NameItalian NameRemarksEvery Sunday including Easter In Italy, Sunday is always a public holiday VariablePatronal festivalFesta del santo patronoPublic holiday established by each limited to its own territory to celebrate the saint who has the role of patron saint of the municipality. Whit Sunday in South Tyrol and Saints Peter and Paul in Rome are fixed by law. 1 JanuaryNew Year's DayCapodanno 6 JanuaryEpiphanyEpifania Monday after EasterEaster MondayLunedì dell'Angelo, Lunedì in Albis or more commonly Pasquetta 25 AprilLiberation DayFesta della LiberazioneThe day commemorates the victory in 1945 of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic, puppet state of the Nazis and rump state of the fascists, in the Italian Civil War, a civil war fought in Italy during World War II. 1 MayFesta del Lavoro (or Festa dei Lavoratori) 2 JuneRepublic DayFesta della RepubblicaThe day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government following World War II and the fall of Fascism. The day is one of the national symbols of Italy. 15 AugustAssumption DayAssunzione (Ferragosto) 4 OctoberFeast of St Francis of AssisiSan Francesco d'Assisi Patron saints of Italy. 1 NovemberAll Saints' DayTutti i santi (or Ognissanti) 8 DecemberImmaculate ConceptionImmacolata Concezione (or just Immacolata) 25 DecemberChristmas DayNatale 26 DecemberSaint Stephen's DaySanto Stefano In Italy, Saint Stephen's Day became a public holiday in 1947, where previously it was a normal working day; the Catholic Church also celebrates it as a religious holiday, even if not as a precept, as it is in Germany and other German-speaking countries. The reason for the public holiday in Italy, not required by the Catholic Church despite the fame of the saint, is to be found in the intention of prolonging the Christmas holiday, creating two consecutive public holidays, which also happens in the case of Easter Monday, a non-religious holiday, but which only wants to lengthen Easter. Before 1947 the two days were working days, with banks and offices open.
State commemorations The following days are not public holidays, but are nevertheless official State commemorations.
Civil solemnities
DateEnglish NameItalian NameRemarks 10 FebruaryNational Memorial Day of the Exiles and FoibeGiorno del ricordo Made a national day by law no. 92 of 30 March 2004. It is an Italian celebration for the memory of the victims of the Foibe and the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus, which led to the emigration of hundreds of thousands (between 230,000 and 350,000) of local ethnic Italians (Istrian Italians and Dalmatian Italians) from Yugoslavia after the end of World War II. 11 FebruaryLateran Treaty DayPatti LateranensiTreaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See establishing, among others, the recognition of the Vatican City as an independent state. 9 SeptemberDay of Remembrance for Sailors Lost at SeaGiornata della memoria dei marinai scomparsi in mare Made a national day by law no. 204 of 14 December 2012. 28 SeptemberFour Days of Naples DayInsurrezione popolare di Napoli contro i nazifascisti or Quattro giornate di Napoli It was an uprising in Naples against Nazi German occupation forces from 27 to 30 September 1943, immediately prior to the arrival of Allied forces in Naples on 1 October during World War II. 4 NovemberNational Unity and Armed Forces DayGiorno dell'Unità Nazionale e Festa delle Forze ArmateA public holiday from its inception in 1919 till 1977, it commemorates the victory of Italy in World War I, a war event considered the completion of the process of unification of Italy. It is celebrated every 4 November, which is the anniversary of the armistice of Villa Giusti becoming effective in 1918 declaring Austria-Hungary's surrender. 12 NovemberRemembrance day for military and civilian fallen in international peace missionsGiornata del ricordo dei Caduti militari e civili nelle missioni internazionali per la pace Made a national day by law no. 162 of 12 November 2009.
Celebratory days