November 1st is a national public holiday in Italy as the country marks All Saints’ Day (Ognissanti or Tutti i Santi) – an important date in the Christian liturgical calendar commemorating all of the Church's saints and martyrs.
Conveniently, the holiday falls on a Friday this year, meaning that many around Italy will enjoy a three-day weekend, or weekend lungo.
Generally speaking, much of the country tends to grind to a halt on public holidays and All Saints’ Day is no exception as some services will be significantly limited or outright unavailable on that day.
Here’s an overview of what you can expect this Friday.
Public transport
Most local public transport companies around the country will operate on a reduced timetable on November 1st, with the frequency of services running during the day likely to vary significantly between rural and urban areas, as well as between cities.
Areas that are usually served by just the occasional bus may see stripped-to-the-bone services on Friday, whereas parts of the country that already have robust public transport networks should keep them fairly active.
If you’re planning on travelling on Friday, it’s strongly advisable that you check the orari festivi (holiday timetable) of the relevant transport operator well in advance.
These can usually be found on the operator’s website or mobile app.
Though public transport in Italy has been affected by multiple protests in recent weeks, there currently are no walkouts planned for November 1st.
Rail travel
Much like public transport services, regional and local trains will run on reduced holiday timetables on Friday, whereas most interregional and long-distance high-speed trains will run on standard weekday timetables.
This means that dozens of long-distance services run by state operator Trenitalia or private operator Italo will still be available on Friday.
That said, travelling by train on All Saints’ Day may well cost you a pretty penny as fares are usually significantly higher than usual on or around national public holidays.
Schools and offices
As it’s generally the case on national public holidays, offices in both the public and private sector (this includes banks, post offices, town hall desks and CAF fiscal assistance centres) will be closed.
Should you need to complete any urgent admin tasks this week, your best bet would be to try and do so by Thursday afternoon.
Public schools and universities in all Italian regions will also be closed on November 1st.
It’s worth noting here that many institutes around the country may remain closed on Thursday, October 31st – the day immediately before All Saints – due to a nationwide teaching staff strike.
Tourist attractions
Most state-run museums and archaeological sites, including Rome’s Musei Capitolini and Pompeii, will be open on Friday, though some may have slightly reduced hours, which is why it’s advisable to check the opening times in advance if you have a specific site you want to visit in mind.
Privately run museums, galleries or collections may be closed on the day.
The Vatican museums will remain closed on Friday.
It’s worth noting that state-run sites will also be open on Sunday, November 3rd, under the nationwide Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ scheme, which allows free-of-charge entry on the first Sunday of every month.
Pasticcerie, panifici and restaurants
Some panifici (bakeries) and pasticcerie (pastry shops) in major cities may remain open on Friday morning to allow customers to stock up on bread and sweets for their All Saints family lunch.
Many restaurants will remain open on Ognissanti to welcome the families who choose to dine out for the holiday.
But if you’re planning on eating out on that day, it's advisable to make a reservation in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.
Shops and supermarkets
Many supermarket chains around the country will have limited opening hours on Friday.
For instance, some may open around 9 in the morning and then close in the early afternoon.
Most mini-markets will remain completely closed instead.
The majority of shops in non-urban areas will be closed on Friday, whereas businesses in big cities around the country may be open.
Doctors and pharmacies
GPs' clinics will be closed on Friday.
However, should you be in need of an urgent appointment, you can ask to see a doctor from Italy’s Guardia Medica, a medical care centre that operates outside of GPs’ normal working hours and on weekends, or visit your local hospital’s ER (pronto soccorso).
Should you need to buy medicines or pick up a prescription, pharmacies in Italy operate a rota system during national holidays to ensure that at least one is open in each area.
To find the nearest one, Google farmacia di turno plus the name of the municipality (or comune) you find yourself in.
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