Monday
Property tax deadline
The second instalment of Italy's property tax on second homes – officially known as Imposta Municipale Unica (or IMU) – is due by Monday, December 16th.
The tax is owed by all owners of a second home in Italy, but also applies to primary residences (prime case) in some rare cases.
READ ALSO: IMU: Who has to pay Italy’s property tax?
The deadline for the first instalment was June 16th.
For details on exactly who has to pay Italy's property tax and how it’s calculated, see our guide.
Mont Blanc tunnel reopens after 15-week closure
The Mont Blanc tunnel, which runs between France and Italy, is scheduled to reopen at 10pm on Monday, December 16th, after closing to all traffic for 15 weeks to allow for major renovation work on a 600-metre stretch of its vault.
Though the exact dates haven’t been announced yet, a second closure should take place in 2025 as authorities plan to renovate another 600-metre stretch of the tunnel’s vault.
Tuesday
Business Minister holds talks with Stellantis over car maker’s future in Italy
Italian Business Minister Adolfo Urso will hold talks with key Stellantis representatives on Tuesday, December 17th, to discuss the car manufacturer’s future in Italy following a recent production stoppage at Turin’s Mirafiori plant due to a slump in vehicle sales.
"There must be an assertive Italy plan within Stellantis' industrial plan that protects national factories," Urso said last week.
The manufacturer’s sales in Italy stood at 31,924 vehicles in October – down by 27.8 percent compared to the same month in 2023.
Stellantis – the world’s fourth largest car manufacturer – is the result of the 2021 merger of France's Peugeot-Citroen and Italian-American company Fiat-Chrysler.
Friday
Verdict expected in Deputy PM Salvini’s migration trial
A Palermo court is expected to deliver its verdict in a high-profile criminal trial involving Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini on Friday, December 20th.
Salvini, a partner in PM Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition, is on trial for alleged kidnapping and abuse of office after he prevented 147 migrants on board a charity ship from disembarking at one of Italy's ports in 2019 during his tenure as interior minister.
In September, Italian prosecutors requested a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, sparking cries of outrage from coalition leaders, including Meloni.
"It is incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks 6 years in prison for doing his job defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from its citizens," she wrote on X.
Salvini faced a similar trial in 2020 after he kept 116 migrants from disembarking from an Italian coastguard boat in 2019. The case was dropped in 2021.
Schools break up for the holidays
Schoolchildren in Italy will go on their Christmas break on Friday, December 20th, or Saturday, December 21st, depending on whether their institute applies a five- or six-day school week.
Children will file back into their classrooms on Tuesday, January 7th.
Saturday
Florence’s Vasari Corridor reopens after eight years
The Vasari Corridor – one of Florence’s most fascinating attractions – will reopen on Saturday, December 21st, following an eight-year-long closure.
The 750-metre-long elevated walkway connecting the Uffizi Galleries with Palazzo Pitti in Florence was closed in 2016 to allow for renovation work aimed at complying with safety regulations.
An €11-million renovation project intended to make the structure safer started in 2022 and was completed in early December.
The structure is one of Florence’s best-known landmarks and offers unique views of the city and some of its most iconic monuments, including the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Boboli Gardens.
Visitors will be able to access the Vasari Corridor by buying a special €43 ticket which also allows entry into the Uffizi’s other areas.
Shortest day of the year
Saturday, December 21st, will be the shortest day of the year in the Earth’s northern hemisphere, with people in Italy only getting between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of daylight depending on their location.
The phenomenon, known as winter solstice (or solstizio d’inverno in Italian), marks the moment when the Earth’s northern hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the sun, which also coincides with the official beginning of astronomical winter.
Roma Gospel Festival
Europe’s biggest gospel festival will return to Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica from Saturday, December 21st, to Wednesday, January 1st.
The 25th edition will feature performances from a number of renowned American gospel choirs, including Vincent Bohanan & the Sound of Victory, the Harlem Gospel Choir and the Florida Inspirational Singers.
Performances will be held on Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Day.
For further details, visit the festival’s official page.
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