Public holidays in Italy
The public holidays all over Italy, which weekday they fall on and where there is a long weekend: handy for choosing your travel dates.
All Saints' Day
Sunday 1 November 2026, in 6 days Falls on the weekend
| Date | Holiday | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryThursday | New Year's DayThe first day of the year: the towns sleep in the morning and almost every shop is closed. | Bridge with Friday |
| 6 JanuaryTuesday | EpiphanyThe Befana brings stockings to the children and closes the Christmas holidays. | Bridge with Monday |
| 5 AprilSunday | Easter SundayAlways on a Sunday, the date changes every year. | Falls on the weekend |
| 6 AprilMonday | Easter Monday (Pasquetta)The Monday after Easter: day trips and picnics, heavy traffic towards the hills and the sea. | Long weekend, 3 days |
| 25 AprilSaturday | Liberation DayAnniversary of the Liberation in 1945, with ceremonies and parades in many towns. | Falls on the weekend |
| 1 MayFriday | Labour DayThe workers' day, with concerts and festivals in the squares. | Long weekend, 3 days |
| 2 JuneTuesday | Republic DayThe 1946 referendum and the birth of the Republic. | Bridge with Monday |
| 15 AugustSaturday | Ferragosto (Assumption Day)The heart of the summer holidays: crowded beaches, festivals and fireworks in many places on the coast. | Falls on the weekend |
| 4 OctoberSunday | Saint Francis of AssisiThe patron saint of Italy, a national holiday again from 2026. | Falls on the weekend |
| 1 NovemberSunday | All Saints' DayAll Saints. 2 November, the day of the dead, is not a holiday. | Falls on the weekend |
| 8 DecemberTuesday | Immaculate ConceptionIt opens the season of Christmas markets and lights. | Bridge with Monday |
| 25 DecemberFriday | Christmas DayShops and museums are almost all closed: book ahead for lunch at a restaurant. | Long weekend, 3 days |
| 26 DecemberSaturday | Saint Stephen's DayThe day after Christmas, a holiday as well. | Falls on the weekend |
The national holidays are set by law 260 of 1949 and later laws; Saint Francis, 4 October, is a holiday again from 2026 (law 151 of 2025). Easter and Easter Monday change every year.
Good to know if you travel on a holiday
The bridge day
When the holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday many people also take Monday or Friday off: four days of holiday, more people travelling, fuller hotels. On a Monday or a Friday the weekend becomes three days long.
Shops, banks and offices
Public offices, banks and post offices close. Many shops and supermarkets open with shorter hours, but at Christmas, New Year and Easter almost everything stays closed.
Museums and monuments
Many stay open on holidays too, with more visitors: book if you can. The most common closing days are 25 December and 1 January. Always check the opening hours before you go.
Buses and trains
On holidays buses and regional trains run on the holiday timetable, with fewer services. Check the timetable for the right day before you go out.
Traffic
On bridge weekends, at Easter Monday and at Ferragosto queues grow on the A14 and on the roads to the sea and the hills, above all on the evening of the return.
Pharmacies
On holidays the duty pharmacy opens: how to find it is explained on the Health page.
Days that are not holidays
2 November, 4 November (National Unity and Armed Forces) and other national days are remembered, but shops, schools and offices are open.
San Marino
The Republic of San Marino has its own calendar: its biggest feast is 3 September, the foundation. On its holidays shops and offices may close even when it is a normal day in Italy.
Museums · Buses · Trains · Traffic · Health and emergencies · Useful numbers
The patron saint's day
Every town has its patron saint: that day is a holiday only there, with the town hall and schools closed and often a fair and stalls in the centre. Here are the main towns in 2026.
| Date | Town | Patron saint |
|---|---|---|
| 4 FebruaryWednesday | Forlì | Madonna del Fuoco |
| 9 MaySaturday, the Saturday before the second Sunday of May | Faenza | Beata Vergine delle Grazie |
| 15 MayFriday | Lugo | Sant'Illaro |
| 24 JuneWednesday | Cesena | San Giovanni Battista |
| 23 JulyThursday | Ravenna | Sant'Apollinare |
| 25 JulySaturday | Cesenatico | San Giacomo |
| 13 AugustThursday | Imola | San Cassiano |
| 29 SeptemberTuesday | Bagnacavallo | San Michele |
| 14 OctoberWednesday | Rimini | San Gaudenzio |
| 11 NovemberWednesday | Riccione | San Martino |
| 13 NovemberFriday | Cervia | San Paterniano |
Source: the town pages on Wikipedia. Before planning a visit on that day ask the tourist office. Tourist offices
Travelling on a holiday?
Trains and buses run fewer services: a transfer with a driver takes you at the time you want, at Christmas and Ferragosto too.
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