On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week?
From Milan Fashion Week to a Rome whisky festival, here’s what to expect in Italy this week.
Monday
Eight-hour rail strike in Lombardy
Rail passengers in and around the Lombardy region may be affected by a strike during the day on Monday, February 20th.
The Trenitalia rail company warned customers that some Eurocity services might be cancelled. Interregional Frecce and Intercity services should not be affected by the strike, it said.
For further information see Trenitalia’s website.
Tuesday
Italian parliament to vote on fuel decree
Italy’s MPs are set to vote on Tuesday, February 21st, on controversial new rules for petrol stations which have already triggered protests.
If approved, the rules will require all gas stations to display average fuel prices next to their own rates, with fines as high as 2,000 euros if they don’t comply.
The bill was drafted in early January, when the government blamed speculation for a sharp rise in fuel prices and said the new rules would protect consumers.
But petrol station operators said the bill was part of a deliberate “criminalisation campaign” from the government and held a 48-hour petrol station strike in late January.
Italian MPs will vote on new transparency rules for petrol stations on Tuesday. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Milan Fashion Week
The Milan Fashion Week will kick off on Tuesday, February 21st.
Some 165 events will take place over the course of seven days, with the major Italian high-fashion brands (Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, etc.) all displaying their new collections in the country’s fashion capital.
This year’s fashion week won’t be without controversy as Italian designer Stella Jean chose to boycott the show due to a persistent lack of recognition for designers of colour.
Shrove Tuesday and the end of Carnival
Shrove Tuesday (known as martedi grasso in Italy) falls on February 21st this year.
This date, which marks the last day before the Christian period of Lent, will officially put an end to Carnival celebrations across Italy.
The Venice Carnival will bow out with the last performance of its main show, Original Signs, and a party till late set within the city’s iconic Arsenal (the former seat of the Venetian navy).
READ ALSO: Venice Carnival: What to expect if you’re attending in 2023
Venice's Carnival ends on February 21st. Photo by Andrea PATTARO / AFP
Wednesday
Bigoli pasta festival in Mantova
The 173rd edition of the Bigolada (bigoli pasta festival) will take place in Castel D’Ario, Mantova, on the first day of Lent, which falls on Wednesday, February 22nd from 10am to 6pm.
The event will feature live music and an eating challenge: the first person to finish a large portion of bigoli and anchovies will be crowned Re bìgol (king bigolo) or Regina Sardèla (queen anchovy).
The Bigolada dates back to March 1848 and is one of the most beloved cultural events in the area.
Friday
Concert in honour of mafia victims in Sicily
A concert to honour mafia victims will be held in the Selinunte Archaeological Park, on Sicily’s south-western coast, on Friday, February 24th.
The event, which was organised by Sicilian-born pianist Sade Mangiaracina earlier this month, will see some of the biggest names in Italian music (Simona Molinari, Chiara Galiazzo and La Rappresentante di Lista among others) take the stage to make a stand against organised crime.
Selinunte lies just south of Castelvetrano, the hometown of mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was apprehended by Italian police on January 16th after spending 30 years on the run.
Access to Friday’s concert will be free of charge. The event is scheduled to start at 6pm.
Selinunte lies just south of Castelvetrano, the hometown of recently-captured mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro (Photo by ludovic MARIN / AFP).
READ ALSO: Italy arrests ‘most wanted’ mafia boss after 30 years on the run
Weekend
Whisky festival in Rome
The eleventh edition of Rome’s whisky festival will start on Saturday, February 25th.
The two-day event will take place at the Salone delle Fontane, in the city’s Eur district, and will offer whisky fans sampling experiences, mixology lessons and guest talks.
See the official website for tickets and information here.
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See Also
Monday
Eight-hour rail strike in Lombardy
Rail passengers in and around the Lombardy region may be affected by a strike during the day on Monday, February 20th.
The Trenitalia rail company warned customers that some Eurocity services might be cancelled. Interregional Frecce and Intercity services should not be affected by the strike, it said.
For further information see Trenitalia’s website.
Tuesday
Italian parliament to vote on fuel decree
Italy’s MPs are set to vote on Tuesday, February 21st, on controversial new rules for petrol stations which have already triggered protests.
If approved, the rules will require all gas stations to display average fuel prices next to their own rates, with fines as high as 2,000 euros if they don’t comply.
The bill was drafted in early January, when the government blamed speculation for a sharp rise in fuel prices and said the new rules would protect consumers.
But petrol station operators said the bill was part of a deliberate “criminalisation campaign” from the government and held a 48-hour petrol station strike in late January.
Milan Fashion Week
The Milan Fashion Week will kick off on Tuesday, February 21st.
Some 165 events will take place over the course of seven days, with the major Italian high-fashion brands (Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, etc.) all displaying their new collections in the country’s fashion capital.
This year’s fashion week won’t be without controversy as Italian designer Stella Jean chose to boycott the show due to a persistent lack of recognition for designers of colour.
Shrove Tuesday and the end of Carnival
Shrove Tuesday (known as martedi grasso in Italy) falls on February 21st this year.
This date, which marks the last day before the Christian period of Lent, will officially put an end to Carnival celebrations across Italy.
The Venice Carnival will bow out with the last performance of its main show, Original Signs, and a party till late set within the city’s iconic Arsenal (the former seat of the Venetian navy).
READ ALSO: Venice Carnival: What to expect if you’re attending in 2023
Wednesday
Bigoli pasta festival in Mantova
The 173rd edition of the Bigolada (bigoli pasta festival) will take place in Castel D’Ario, Mantova, on the first day of Lent, which falls on Wednesday, February 22nd from 10am to 6pm.
The event will feature live music and an eating challenge: the first person to finish a large portion of bigoli and anchovies will be crowned Re bìgol (king bigolo) or Regina Sardèla (queen anchovy).
The Bigolada dates back to March 1848 and is one of the most beloved cultural events in the area.
Friday
Concert in honour of mafia victims in Sicily
A concert to honour mafia victims will be held in the Selinunte Archaeological Park, on Sicily’s south-western coast, on Friday, February 24th.
The event, which was organised by Sicilian-born pianist Sade Mangiaracina earlier this month, will see some of the biggest names in Italian music (Simona Molinari, Chiara Galiazzo and La Rappresentante di Lista among others) take the stage to make a stand against organised crime.
Selinunte lies just south of Castelvetrano, the hometown of mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was apprehended by Italian police on January 16th after spending 30 years on the run.
Access to Friday’s concert will be free of charge. The event is scheduled to start at 6pm.
READ ALSO: Italy arrests ‘most wanted’ mafia boss after 30 years on the run
Weekend
Whisky festival in Rome
The eleventh edition of Rome’s whisky festival will start on Saturday, February 25th.
The two-day event will take place at the Salone delle Fontane, in the city’s Eur district, and will offer whisky fans sampling experiences, mixology lessons and guest talks.
See the official website for tickets and information here.
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