ITA Airways to resume flights to Israel
Italy’s flag carrier ITA Airways will resume flights between Rome and Tel Aviv from February 1st following a four-month suspension due to conflict in the Middle East.
The airline said it will initially operate one daily flight in both directions, with plans to add a nighttime service from February 16th.
Daytime flights will depart from Rome Fiumicino at 9.10am, arriving at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion at 1.30pm local time. Flights in the opposite direction will depart from Tel Aviv at 2:30pm, arriving at Rome Fiumicino at 5:15pm Italian time.
Six Nations matches in Rome
Italy’s national rugby team will play two Six Nations matches at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in February.
The first home game of the tournament will take place on Saturday, February 8th, with the Azzurri facing Wales. The second home game will be held on Sunday, February 23rd, when Italy are set to square up against France.
Currently in its 131st edition, the Six Nations Championship is one of the most prestigious national team competitions in rugby. It sees England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales compete for the title over five rounds.
Info on tickets for Italy’s Six Nations matches can be found here.
European Culture Capital events get underway in Gorizia
Gorizia, in the northeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, and its twin city of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, is one of Europe’s Culture Capitals in 2025.
An opening ceremony on February 8th will kick off a year’s worth of events, including art exhibitions, talks, music shows and food fairs.
Planned events include Tastes without Borders – a food festival scheduled for late September offering the chance to sample the best local produce and dishes.
For more information, visit the event's official website here.
School registration deadline
The registration period for both primary (nursery schools and elementary schools) and secondary education (middle schools and high schools) will end on February 10th this year.
READ ALSO: How to register for school in Italy in 2025 and the changes you need to know
This year, registration can be completed exclusively by accessing the Ministry of Education’s Unica online platform.
Parents and guardians can access the online portal with their SPID or electronic ID card credentials.
Sanremo Music Festival
Italy’s most famous song competition will return in February.
The festival will be held at the Ariston Theatre, in the Ligurian seaside town of Sanremo over five consecutive evenings – from February 11th to 15th.
A total of 30 artists will compete for the top spot in this year’s edition.
Considered by many Italy’s answer to the Eurovision contest, the festival is a yearly cultural highlight which sparks excitement among broadcasters, journalists and viewers alike.
Carnival celebrations
February is carnival season in Italy, and the most famous events of all are held in Venice, with celebrations starting on February 14th and ending on March 4th this year.
If you’re attending the 2025 Venice Carnival, expect a mix of bold water parades, street art performances, fine dining experiences and elegant masked balls, along with a chance to try the city’s traditional frittelle veneziane (Venetian fritters).
That said, Venice isn’t the only carnival fun hotspot in Italy.
Each year, Viareggio, a small town on Tuscany’s Tyrrhenian coast, hosts one of the most unique carnival parades in the world, featuring massive papier-mâché floats and large-scale caricatures of political figures.
You can see the dates for this year’s edition here.
Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th, is marked in Italy much like elsewhere in the world: it’s a heavily commercialised holiday during which couples can expect to spend over the odds on a weekend away or a restaurant dinner.
However, the day has deeper roots in Italy, as Saint Valentine is believed to have been Italian and is the patron saint of several towns, including Terni in Umbria, Quero in Veneto, Sadali in Sardinia and Vico del Gargano in Puglia.
Each of these towns has its own unique way of celebrating. For instance, Quero residents celebrate by blessing oranges and then making them roll down a hill for good luck.
In Verona – the city of Romeo and Juliet – the three-day Verona in Love festival transforms the city into a vibrant hub for love-themed events.
End of winter sales in five Italian regions
Italy’s winter sales (or saldi invernali) will end in February for shops in the following five regions: Bolzano, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia and Veneto.
You can see the exact end dates below:
Bolzano province: February 5th
Lazio: February 15th
Liguria: February 17th
Puglia: February 28th
Veneto: February 28th
The saldi will continue into March for shops in all other Italian regions.
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