Monday, July 27th
Railway disruption in Florence
The second round of planned works on the bridge over Florence's central train station began on Sunday, July 26th. The renovations will impact rail travel this week through Thursday, July 30th.
Passengers crossing Italy by train could face cancellations and delays of up to three hours. Updates on changed or cancelled trains are available on the company's webpage.
READ ALSO: The rail travel disruption to expect in Italy this summer
Transport strike hiatus begins
Travellers in Italy don't have to worry about last-minute surprises in August thanks to the country's franchigia estiva – a period during which major strikes by the country's air and rail transport workers are prohibited.
This year's franchigia runs from July 27th to September 5th for both air and train transport, meaning long-distance journeys shouldn't be disrupted by walkouts between those dates (though there may be other disruptions as maintenance works, particularly on rail lines, are often carried out over the summer).
Small-scale strikes by workers of local transport services, such as the strike in Savona listed above, may still occur during this period.
Thursday, July 30th
Fiera di San Lazzaro
Bologna's beloved Fiera di San Lazzaro is set to return on Thursday, July 30th for its 194th edition.
The fair, which last year drew over 100,000 visitors, is expected to feature music, meetings, food tastings, nature walks, and museum visits.
The event will run until Sunday, August 2nd.
Friday, July 31st
End to Florence rail works
The second round of planned works on the Ponte al Pino overpass bridge over Florence's central train station should be completed by Friday, with travel through the hub expected to return mostly to normal.
The works are in fact scheduled to end at 11am on Thursday, July 30th, though railway operator RFI has warned that "changes to services may also occur before or after the scheduled work time".
Saturday, August 1st
Heavy traffic warning
Drivers should expect heavy traffic on Italy’s motorways this Saturday, August 1st as Italians leave en masse for their summer vacations.
This ‘summer exodus’ will be most intense on the mornings of August 1st and August 8th, Italy’s state police warn.
READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Italy in August 2026
Sunday, August 2nd
Milan–Venice rail disruption
Train passengers should also expect disruption on the Milan–Venice high-speed line starting on Sunday, August 2nd and running until Sunday, August 16th as part of a major push to upgrade Italy’s rail network over the summer.
Construction work on the Vicenza railway crossing and Montebello station is expected to cause delays between Verona and Vicenza.
Palio del Golfo, La Spezia
The Palio del Golfo – one of the most iconic events in Italy’s summer cultural calendar – will take place in La Spezia, Liguria, on Sunday, August 2nd.
Unlike other pali held around the country over the summer months, including the famed Palio di Siena horse race on August 16th, this is a strictly nautical affair.
The rowing race will be held in the waters facing La Spezia’s Morin promenade and will be followed by a fireworks show.
Free entry to state museums
People around Italy will be able to visit dozens of state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.
The initiative applies to hundreds of sites, including world-famous attractions such as the Colosseum, Pompeii, Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia, the Reggia di Caserta and Trieste's Miramare Castle.
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