Public Holidays
Date 2003 Occasion
January 1
New Year's Day
January 6 Epiphany
February 1 Venice Carnival
starts
February 12 Venice Carnival ends
April 20
Easter
April 21
Easter Monday
April 25
Venice(St
Mark)**
April 25
Liberation
Day
May 1
May
Day
June Sunday Anniversary of
the Republic
June 24
Florence(St John)**
June 24
Turin(St
John)**
June 29
Rome(Sts Peter and Paul)**
July 11
Palermo(St Rosalia)**
August 15 Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 19 Naples(St Gennaro)**
October 4 Bologna (St
Petronio)**
November 1 All Saints Day
November World War 1
Victory Anniversary Day*
December
7 Milan(St Ambrose)**
December 8 Immaculate Conception
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day or St Stephen's Day
**Feast
Days
Some Major Events
January
Fair of Sant'Orso in Aosta
February
Feast of the almond-blossom in Agrigento
February-March Carnival in Venice, Viareggio and Ivrea
March-April
"Scoppio del carro" in Florence
May
Candle race in Gubbio ;Cavalcata sarda" in Sassari ;Maggio musicale" in Florence
May-June
'Festival of the Two Worlds" in Spoleto
June
Flower festival in Genzano
June-September 'Biennale di
Venezia"(1997, 1999, 2001...)
July
"Palio" horserace in Siena; ;Festa del Redentore" in Venice ;Umbria
Jazz"
August
Quintana tournament in Ascoli Piceno in Siena ana tournament in Arezzo
August-September "Settimane musicali" in Stesa al
& Opera seasons in Milan and Verona
September
Historical regatta in Venice Game in Marostica in Asti national Cinema Festival in
Venice
October
Grape feast in Merano
November
Feast of the Madonna della Salute in Venice
December
Franciscan crib in Greccio
Weekend: Saturday,
Sunday
Health & Safety
There are no compulsory immunizations
to enter Italy. The water is mostly safe and there aren’t any apparent health
hazards. The medical facilities in the cities are good but the hospitals in rural areas
are not really equipped to deal with big crises.
You’ll find that the crime rate isn’t very high (unless you
happen to be on someone’s hit list!). Stories of Mafiosi have of course, passed into
legend but travellers generally aren’t in any danger at all except from the
occasional petty theft. Beware of thieves and pickpockets, especially in the bigger
cities.
Be modestly dressed, especially to places of worship. Women should be
prepared for whistling and catcalling; after all it’s not for nothing that Italian
men have earned themselves their formidable reputation! On the whole, Italy is a safe and
friendly country for travellers of both sexes.
In an emergency, the following telephone numbers will help: Police –
112, Fire department –115, Medical help – 113 and an English-speaking operator
– 170.
Weights & Measures
Italy follows the metric system: distance is measured in kilometres,
weight in kilograms, and volume in litres.
Customs & Duties
Duty-free allowances for visitors from
outside the EU (European Union) are the same, from any country, whatever your nationality.
You have to be above 17, to be entitled to these allowances. Duty free shopping has been
abolished within the EU.
The allowances include a certain quantity of cigarettes, liquor, wines, perfumes and $200
worth of other goods, which include gifts.
Visitors who arrive from another EU country do not have to pass through customs.
Electricity
Electricity (75% of which is imported) flows at 220 volts AC or 50 Hz. Keep an adapter and
a converter handy if you have appliances that need 110V.
Post & Communications
The Italian postal system is erratic and mail to or from the United States can take
anywhere between 4 and 14 days. But that at least is another continent. Letters from even
the UK are often similarly affected. You could beat the vagaries of the system by using
the more expensive but reliable express (Espresso) or registered (Raccomendato)
services. When posting letters overseas ensure that they are marked By Air Mail in clear
letters. Postal stamps are available at post offices and at tobacconists. To receive
letters at the post office have your friends mark them In Fermo Posta (Italian for
Poste Restante) and address them to ‘you, c/o Palazzo delle Poste, the city where you
want to get it’; take along photo ID when you go to collect your mail.
For phone calls you can use coins, a
phone card (easily available at a variety of places from bars to tobacconists) or a phone
booth where you pay the total bill at the end of the call. The country code for Italy is
39.
Tipping
Tipping is complex business in Italy
(what isn’t?!). Different norms apply in different regions.
Restaurants in tourist favourites like Venice, Milan, Florence and Rome
will usually include a 15% service charge to the bill. You’re still expected to leave
about 5 to 10% of the basic bill for the waiter/waitress. In cafes the tip depends on how
comfortable you made yourself: if you sit at a table leave around L500 but if you stand
around, L100 to 200 is good enough.
Hotel staff gets between L1000 and 2000. Tour guides get L2000 for half a
day with you and taxi drivers are happy with a tip that is 5-10% of the fare. It’s
least complicated at stations and airports where fixed rates for porters are on display.
Tips tend to be less hefty in smaller cities where you really needn’t tip at cafes
and taxis.
English Language Media
Newspapers and magazines in English
are available in the cities and bigger towns, at hotels, public libraries and with some
newsagents. Cable TV, which is widely available, has limited programmes in English. BBC
World and Voice America are on the MHz bandwidth.
Recommended Reading
Venice Observed by Mary McCarthy
Italy Fever, 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair with Italy by Darlene Marwitz
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes
The Sicilian by Mario Puzo
Venice by Jan Morris
Walking in Italy by Helen Gillman
Italy for the Gourmet Traveller by Fred Plotkin
Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy
Wicked Italian by Harold Tomb et al
My Rise and Fall by Benito Mussolini
The Medici by G.H. Young |
