On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week
From a public transport strike to Carnival celebrations, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.
Monday
- Milder weather on the way
After recent stormy spells and freezing temperatures up and down the country, the weather is forecast to turn sunny and dry from Monday as a warm weather front moves in from northern Africa.
The north and centre of Italy can expect temperatures of around six to eight degrees in the coming days, while parts of the south could see up to 16 degrees.
Il meteo del 14 febbraio: anticipo di primavera confermato, sale il termometro https://t.co/0OE2EfOyfQ pic.twitter.com/D4rJlWlgd2
— Affaritaliani.it (@Affaritaliani) February 13, 2023
The milder weather is forecast to stick around for at least a week. However, there are concerns that this dry spell will dry out many rivers and lakes further amid a continued drought.
- Regional vote in Lazio and Lombardy
Italy’s two most important and populous regions – Lombardy around Milan, and Rome’s Lazio – are holding local government elections as the week begins, with voting open until 3pm on Monday, February 13th .
Voting for members of the regional council, including the governor, is open to all residents of these regions who have Italian citizenship, are over 18 years of age, and are registered on the electoral roll.
The February regional elections are seen as a popularity test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government - and it is widely expected to pass with a comfortable win for hard-right candidates in both regions.
Tuesday
Valentine’s Day
Italy celebrates Valentine’s Day (or Festa di San Valentino in Italian). in largely the same way as the rest of the world: it’s a heavily commercialised holiday during which couples can expect to spend over the odds on a weekend away or a meal out.
READ ALSO: 11 of the most romantic places in Italy to escape the crowds
That said, St Valentine is widely believed to have been an Italian saint (or several), and is the patron saint of multiple Italian towns including Terni, Padua, Sadali in Sardinia, Quero and Pozzoleone in Veneto, Palmoli in Abruzzo, and Vico del Gargano in Puglia.
Is there a more romantic place to spend Valentine's Day than Rome? Photo by Carlos Ibáñez on Unsplash
Wednesday
Singles' Day
Single people across the country will have a chance to even the score with their coupled-up friends on February 15th, which in Italy is known as La Festa dei Single (Singles’ Day) or more traditionally la Festa di San Faustino (Feast of San Faustino).
It’s not clear where this event came from – it’s thought to have begun as a marketing gimmick in the early 2000s – but today it’s a fixture on the Italian calendar.
This means singles’ events will be held in cities across the country, from sociable dinners to speed-dating to parties. For instance, 55 Milano in Milan will throw a San Faustino Singles' Party on Wednesday night.
Thursday
Carnival celebrations at their peak
Carnival season has begun in Italy, with colourful parades and festivals held all over the country.
But the main Carnival events usually begin on the last Thursday before Lent (known in Italy as giovedi grasso, literally, ‘fat Thursday’) - which this year is on the 16th - and run until martedi’ grasso (Shrove Tuesday).
READ ALSO: Venice Carnival: What to expect if you’re attending in 2023
The popular Venice Carnival will also be at its peak over the six-day period starting on Thursday.
Friday
Nationwide public transport strike
Unions have called a 24-hour strike public transport strike in cities across Italy on Friday, February 17th.
The amount of disruption to local services will vary between cities.
In Rome, services run by main public transport operator ATAC are set to be affected between 8.30am and 5pm, then from 8pm until end of service. Disruption to services in other cities has not yet been confirmed.
You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.
Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
Weekend
Free entry to Florence’s Bargello Museums
Access to the Bargello Museums in Florence will be free of charge on Saturday, February 18th as a tribute to Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the House of Medici.
The daughter of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici had no heirs and bequeathed her family’s immense art collection, including the contents of the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Medicean villas, to the region of Tuscany. She died on February 18th, 1743.
Carnival parade in Acireale, Sicily
Dozens of colourful papier-mâché floats will fill the streets of Acireale, a picturesque seaside town just north of Catania, Sicily on Sunday, February 19th.
The parade will start at 3pm and, as by tradition, will be accompanied by a number of exciting music and dance performances.
Acireale’s Carnival, whose origins date back to the late 16th century, is the most popular Carnival display in Sicily.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here. The full events programme is available here.
Comments
See Also
Monday
- Milder weather on the way
After recent stormy spells and freezing temperatures up and down the country, the weather is forecast to turn sunny and dry from Monday as a warm weather front moves in from northern Africa.
The north and centre of Italy can expect temperatures of around six to eight degrees in the coming days, while parts of the south could see up to 16 degrees.
Il meteo del 14 febbraio: anticipo di primavera confermato, sale il termometro https://t.co/0OE2EfOyfQ pic.twitter.com/D4rJlWlgd2
— Affaritaliani.it (@Affaritaliani) February 13, 2023
The milder weather is forecast to stick around for at least a week. However, there are concerns that this dry spell will dry out many rivers and lakes further amid a continued drought.
- Regional vote in Lazio and Lombardy
Italy’s two most important and populous regions – Lombardy around Milan, and Rome’s Lazio – are holding local government elections as the week begins, with voting open until 3pm on Monday, February 13th .
Voting for members of the regional council, including the governor, is open to all residents of these regions who have Italian citizenship, are over 18 years of age, and are registered on the electoral roll.
The February regional elections are seen as a popularity test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government - and it is widely expected to pass with a comfortable win for hard-right candidates in both regions.
Tuesday
Valentine’s Day
Italy celebrates Valentine’s Day (or Festa di San Valentino in Italian). in largely the same way as the rest of the world: it’s a heavily commercialised holiday during which couples can expect to spend over the odds on a weekend away or a meal out.
READ ALSO: 11 of the most romantic places in Italy to escape the crowds
That said, St Valentine is widely believed to have been an Italian saint (or several), and is the patron saint of multiple Italian towns including Terni, Padua, Sadali in Sardinia, Quero and Pozzoleone in Veneto, Palmoli in Abruzzo, and Vico del Gargano in Puglia.
Wednesday
Singles' Day
Single people across the country will have a chance to even the score with their coupled-up friends on February 15th, which in Italy is known as La Festa dei Single (Singles’ Day) or more traditionally la Festa di San Faustino (Feast of San Faustino).
It’s not clear where this event came from – it’s thought to have begun as a marketing gimmick in the early 2000s – but today it’s a fixture on the Italian calendar.
This means singles’ events will be held in cities across the country, from sociable dinners to speed-dating to parties. For instance, 55 Milano in Milan will throw a San Faustino Singles' Party on Wednesday night.
Thursday
Carnival celebrations at their peak
Carnival season has begun in Italy, with colourful parades and festivals held all over the country.
But the main Carnival events usually begin on the last Thursday before Lent (known in Italy as giovedi grasso, literally, ‘fat Thursday’) - which this year is on the 16th - and run until martedi’ grasso (Shrove Tuesday).
READ ALSO: Venice Carnival: What to expect if you’re attending in 2023
The popular Venice Carnival will also be at its peak over the six-day period starting on Thursday.
Friday
Nationwide public transport strike
Unions have called a 24-hour strike public transport strike in cities across Italy on Friday, February 17th.
The amount of disruption to local services will vary between cities.
In Rome, services run by main public transport operator ATAC are set to be affected between 8.30am and 5pm, then from 8pm until end of service. Disruption to services in other cities has not yet been confirmed.
You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.
Weekend
Free entry to Florence’s Bargello Museums
Access to the Bargello Museums in Florence will be free of charge on Saturday, February 18th as a tribute to Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the House of Medici.
The daughter of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici had no heirs and bequeathed her family’s immense art collection, including the contents of the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Medicean villas, to the region of Tuscany. She died on February 18th, 1743.
Carnival parade in Acireale, Sicily
Dozens of colourful papier-mâché floats will fill the streets of Acireale, a picturesque seaside town just north of Catania, Sicily on Sunday, February 19th.
The parade will start at 3pm and, as by tradition, will be accompanied by a number of exciting music and dance performances.
Acireale’s Carnival, whose origins date back to the late 16th century, is the most popular Carnival display in Sicily.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here. The full events programme is available here.
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