Italy public holidays 2026: the dates that can change your plan

For 2026, Italy's national dates are: Thursday January 1 (New Year's Day); Tuesday January 6 (Epiphany); Sunday April 5 (Easter) and Monday April 6 (Easter Monday); Saturday April 25 (Liberation Day); Friday May 1 (Labour Day); Tuesday June 2 (Republic Day); Saturday August 15 (Ferragosto); Sunday October 4 (St Francis); Sunday November 1 (All Saints' Day); Tuesday December 8 (Immaculate Conception); Friday December 25 (Christmas); and Saturday December 26 (St Stephen's Day).

The official Italian tourism calendar lists the established national dates. It does not yet include the October 4 addition, so that one belongs on a 2026 planning calendar because Law 151/2025 added the national celebration of St Francis to the relevant legal list. This is a calendar for asking the right question of an individual booking, not a universal opening-hours schedule.

On the trip-planning page, dates and arrival points belong to decision 1 of 6, the outline: approximate dates, how many travelers, the total nights, and where you arrive and leave.

October 4 is the date most likely to be missed by an older Italy holiday list. The law was published in October 2025 and establishes an annual national celebration of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, which does not make the date irrelevant: it can still intersect with an event, a local timetable or a planned visit that has its own holiday hours.

There is a second reason to check the city rather than only the national list. Italia.it identifies October 4 as Bologna's patron-saint date too. A national date and a local observance can coexist; neither tells you, on its own, whether your particular restaurant, museum, train or shop will operate as usual.

Italia.it says that public holidays usually stop most business and close public offices, while some museums and cultural sites close. The same guidance says bars, pastry shops, gelato shops and restaurants are often open. Those are useful expectations, not booking confirmations: a museum can choose a special opening, a restaurant can take a weekly rest day, and a rail or city service can publish a separate holiday timetable.

That distinction is the point of this guide. Do not cancel a day because a generic page said 'closed'; do not arrive because a generic page said 'open.' Open the official page for the specific attraction, operator or booking and look for its date-specific notice before you commit a non-refundable plan.

The recurring city dates most likely to touch a common visitor itinerary are Venice on April 25; Florence on June 24; Rome on June 29; Bologna on October 4; and Milan on December 7. Genoa and Turin also observe June 24. These are patron-saint observances, not additional national holidays that apply identically across Italy.

For a city break, put the local date beside the national dates before you select a museum day, airport transfer or restaurant reservation. Then confirm the exact service. A date can bring a closure, a special opening, a procession, a modified transport plan or no practical change at all, depending on the operator and year.

Use the calendar as a prompt, then make the check where it matters: on the official page of the thing you intend to do. That is quicker than rebuilding a whole day after a stale assumption.

1. 01 / MATCH THE DATE

   Check national and city calendars together

   Put the destination's patron date beside the national calendar before choosing your key day in that city.

2. 02 / OPEN THE OPERATOR PAGE

   Verify the individual service

   Read the official attraction, transport or booking page for holiday hours, a date-specific notice and its cancellation terms.

3. 03 / KEEP A BACKUP

   Plan one movable thing

   On a high-demand date, keep one flexible alternative rather than treating a generic holiday list as a guarantee.