Monday
Tax reform bill on the way
Italy is waiting to find out the details of planned changes to the tax rules and we should know more after the first draft of the tax reform bill is published, which ministers said would be released this week - possibly as early as Monday, March 13th.
The riforma fiscale, in the works for well over a month now, has been the subject of intense media speculation since early February - but nothing has yet been announced.
READ ALSO: Flat tax, superbonus and wild boar: What’s in Italy’s 2023 budget?
According to the latest reports from financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, the bill is expected to introduce radical changes to both Irpef, Italy’s main income tax, and Iva, the Italian equivalent of VAT.
24-hour public transport strike in Umbria
Italy’s central Umbria region could see some disruption to public transport as staff at Umbria TPL e Mobilità, the main local public transport operator, will take part in a 24-hour strike on Monday, March 13th.
The level of disruption caused by the demonstration will vary from place to place as will minimum services and their times.
READ ALSO: Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this spring
The Perugia Airlink, which connects Perugia and Assisi to the San Francesco D’Assisi airport, may also be affected by the strike.
The demonstration was called by unions Filt Cgil and Faisa Cisal in protest against the upcoming privatisation of Umbria TPL.
Wednesday
Milan-Turin bike race
The 104th edition of the Milano-Torino (Milan-Turin), the oldest bicycle race in the world, will take place on Wednesday, March 15th.
The 192-kilometre race starts in Rho, north-west of Milan, and ends in Orbossone, south of Turin.
The Milano-Torino was first held in May 1876, when eight riders departed from Milan’s Porta Magenta area but only four made it all the way to Turin.
The 2023 edition of the race will be shown live on Rai Sport (channel 57 on Italian TV) and on the RaiPlay streaming platform.
Friday
National Unity Day
Though it isn’t an official holiday, which means that you won’t get time off work, March 17th is one of the most patriotic days of the year as Italy celebrates the Day of National Unity (or Giornata dell’Unità Nazionale).
March 17th is in many respects the country’s birthday as the Kingdom of Italy was officially founded on March 17th, 1861. Before then, the peninsula was split into rival states and regions which had regularly changed hands, allegiances and boundaries over the centuries.
Official ceremonies are held every year to mark the occasion, including the laying of a laurel wreath before the Altare della Patria monument in Rome and various commemorations held by the graves of some of the most important figures in recent Italian history.
St Patrick’s Day
March 17th is also St Patrick’s Day, which commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and, more broadly, Irish culture and heritage.
Celebrations aren’t as widespread in Italy as in some other countries but most major cities will still offer a number of Paddy’s Day-themed events over the weekend.
READ ALSO: Where to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023 in Italy
In Rome, the Scholars Lounge will put on 18 hours of “great Irish craic”, with five live music gigs followed by two DJ sets and free giveaways.
In Milan, the Spirit de Milan venue will host Spirit of Ireland, a three-day festival offering a combination of traditional Irish dance classes, live music concerts and Irish food experiences.
Sunday
Father’s Day
While most countries in the world, including English-speaking ones, celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June, Italy marks it on March 19th.
That’s because March 19th corresponds to the Feast of Saint Joseph – the patron saint of family men according to Catholic tradition.
Father’s Day stopped being a public holiday in Italy in 1977 but it’s still widely celebrated today as Italian children give their fathers small gifts and families eat homemade sweets known as dolci di San Giuseppe.
Rome marathon
The 28th edition of the Rome marathon will take place on Sunday, March 19th.
The 42-kilometre race will start and finish at the Colosseum, with the start time set for 8am.
Two parallel events will also take place on the day: a five-kilometre fun run in the Circo Massimo area and the Run4Rome relay race.
Runners have until Thursday, March 16th to sign up for these events. Further details can be found on the marathon’s official website.
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