How to make the most of Italy's public holidays in 2017
Back at your desk after the Christmas break and already dreaming of your next holiday? You're in luck - Italy offers a bumper year for long weekends, thanks to the timing of its public holidays. Here's our guide to making the most of them.
Italy offers workers 12 paid bank holidays each year (11 national and one local) in addition to a minimum of 20 vacation days.
It doesn't carry over weekend public holidays to the Monday, meaning the number of days off varies year to year.
But in 2017, just one bank holiday (New Year's Day) is lost to the weekend, apart from Easter Sunday.
Even better, seven of the remaining days off fall on a Friday or Monday, meaning it's a bumper year for long weekends - starting with Epiphany on Friday, January 6th.
After that however, workers in Italy have to wait until the end of March for another national holiday.
But don't be surprised if you see shops shutting up on other days of the year. Different cities have their own celebrations, with the main ones listed below. The Catholic calendar is often used to determine feast days at a local level.
Here's the full list of Italy's public holidays in 2017:
January 1st (Sunday), New Year's Day
January 6th (Friday), Epiphany
April 17th (Monday), Easter Monday
April 25th (Monday), Liberation Day
May 1st (Monday), Labour Day
June 2nd (Friday), Republic Day
August 15th (Tuesday), Ferragosto
November 1st (Wednesday), All Saints Day
December 8th (Friday), Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 25th (Monday), Christmas Day
December 26th (Tuesday), St Stephen's Day
Regional holidays
Venice: April 25th (Tuesday), Feast of St Mark
Sardinia: April 28th (Friday), Sardinia Day
Rome: June 29th (Thursday), Feast of St Peter and St Paul
Palermo: July 15th (Saturday), Feast of St Rosalia
Naples: September 19th (Tuesday), Feast of St Gennaro
Bologna: October 4th (Wednesday), Feast of St Petronius
Trieste: November 3rd (Friday), Feast of St Giusto
Bari: December 6th (Wednesday), Feast of St Nicholas
Milan: December 7th (Thursday), Feast of St Ambrose
Other key dates to watch out for this year:
March 19th (Sunday), Father's Day
May 14th (Sunday), Mother's Day
And if you're looking for inspiration on what to do with all that time off, why not book a trip to one of these of-the-beaten track destinations?
Seven breathtaking alternatives to Italy's tourist hotspots
Photo: Franco Folini/Flickr
See Also
Italy offers workers 12 paid bank holidays each year (11 national and one local) in addition to a minimum of 20 vacation days.
It doesn't carry over weekend public holidays to the Monday, meaning the number of days off varies year to year.
But in 2017, just one bank holiday (New Year's Day) is lost to the weekend, apart from Easter Sunday.
Even better, seven of the remaining days off fall on a Friday or Monday, meaning it's a bumper year for long weekends - starting with Epiphany on Friday, January 6th.
After that however, workers in Italy have to wait until the end of March for another national holiday.
But don't be surprised if you see shops shutting up on other days of the year. Different cities have their own celebrations, with the main ones listed below. The Catholic calendar is often used to determine feast days at a local level.
Here's the full list of Italy's public holidays in 2017:
January 1st (Sunday), New Year's Day
January 6th (Friday), Epiphany
April 17th (Monday), Easter Monday
April 25th (Monday), Liberation Day
May 1st (Monday), Labour Day
June 2nd (Friday), Republic Day
August 15th (Tuesday), Ferragosto
November 1st (Wednesday), All Saints Day
December 8th (Friday), Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 25th (Monday), Christmas Day
December 26th (Tuesday), St Stephen's Day
Regional holidays
Venice: April 25th (Tuesday), Feast of St Mark
Sardinia: April 28th (Friday), Sardinia Day
Rome: June 29th (Thursday), Feast of St Peter and St Paul
Palermo: July 15th (Saturday), Feast of St Rosalia
Naples: September 19th (Tuesday), Feast of St Gennaro
Bologna: October 4th (Wednesday), Feast of St Petronius
Trieste: November 3rd (Friday), Feast of St Giusto
Bari: December 6th (Wednesday), Feast of St Nicholas
Milan: December 7th (Thursday), Feast of St Ambrose
Other key dates to watch out for this year:
March 19th (Sunday), Father's Day
May 14th (Sunday), Mother's Day
And if you're looking for inspiration on what to do with all that time off, why not book a trip to one of these of-the-beaten track destinations?
Seven breathtaking alternatives to Italy's tourist hotspots
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