Festa della Repubblica & other holidays
Rome: June 2, 2011
Italian flags outside the Coliseum
Today is a holiday celebrating the abolition of the monarchy and the foundation of the Italian Republic (link to Wikipedia) in 1946. It’s also 150 Years since Italian Unification. Some countries have their public/national holidays at weekends so they don’t break up the working week.. but not Italy. The Italians love a holiday in the middle of the week so they can have a “ponte”, meaning bridge. This is a prolonged break which will normally last from a day or two before the official day off work to the Monday following it. A nice long weekend is very useful at the start of the summer, so everyone can increase their tans and look even better in their new clothes!
There is an exhibition of some sort in the Vatican on June 21st and sales of pre-booked tickets have been blocked off, this could change but it will probably mean an even longer line than normal! June 29th is the feast of St Peter and Paul and the Vatican is closed completely on that day. It is also a public holiday in Rome – wonderful!!!!
Sounds like a great time. Let the Roman Holidays begin!