From a beloved religious festival in Rome to more rail travel disturbances in Florence, here's what to expect in Italy this week.
Monday, July 20th
Genoa, Florence, Prato and Latina public transport strikes
The week begins with public transport strike in cities across the country.
Buses in Florence operated by Autolinee Toscane (AT) are expected to strike in the evening from 7pm to 11pm, while a separate AT strike in nearby Prato is scheduled from 2.30pm to 10.30pm.
READ ALSO: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this July
In Genoa, staff at city public transport operator AMT will be on strike from 11.30am to 3.30pm.
Public transport in Latina will face disruption on Monday as well due to an all-day strike by staff of operator Csc Mobilita.
Festa de' Noantri, Rome – through Saturday
The Festa de' Noantri (Our Feast) is a boisterous street festival that makes Rome's popular Trastevere neighbourhood even more fun for two weeks every July.
It celebrates the Virgin of Carmel, a title given to the Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order.
Held from July 17th to July 25th this year, the festival is famous for its traditional religious processions carrying a bejewelled statue of the Virgin Mary through the streets.
There's a programme of several days of events and performances, including for kids, available here.
Tuesday, July 21st
Airline and airport staff strikes
If you're flying on Tuesday, you'll want to be prepared for possible delays or cancellations due to strikes at several Italian airports.
The flight crew of budget airline EasyJet have announced their participation in a 24-hour national walkout on Tuesday, joined by staff of Danish Air Transport.
Ground staff intend to strike for the entire day at Milan's Malpensa airport and Lamezia Terme, Calabria's primary airport.
Two of Sardinia's largest hubs – Olbia and Alghero – are also set to face airport staff walkouts from 1pm to 5pm.
Tuesday, July 21st
Nuclear energy bill moves forward in the Senate
The future of energy production in Italy will be in the news this week, with a Senate committee reviewing amendments to a government bill outlining plans to reinstate nuclear energy.
The bill, which has passed the lower house of parliament, lays down a framework law authorising the use of nuclear power using small modular reactors. Italy abandoned nuclear power after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Thursday, July 23rd
National rail transport strike – through 9pm Friday
Unions have called a 24-hour nationwide strike by all railway workers, from interregional rail to local lines.
The strike period begins at 9pm on Thursday, July 23rd, and lasts until 9pm on Friday, July 24th.
So far we know that there could be disruption to train services in the Verona area for 24 hours due to a scheduled strike by maintenance, engineering and administrative staff.
Saturday, July 25th
'Bear joust' in Pistoia, Tuscany
The Giostra dell'Orso, or 'bear joust', is a medieval jousting tournament held every year in Tuscany.
It involves costumed rivals from the city's four districts competing to strike a target in the shape of a wooden bear with their lance.
Tickets are €20 for seats or €10 for standing room only.
READ ALSO: What's on in Italy: 16 events to look forward to this July
Sunday, July 26th
Railway disruption in Florence
The second round of planned works on the bridge over Florence's central train station begins on Sunday. The renovations will impact rail travel through Thursday, July 30th.
Passengers crossing Italy by train could face cancellations and delays of up to three hours.
The works are scheduled to begin at 11pm on Sunday and conclude at 11am on Thursday, though the state-owned railway operator RFI warned that "changes to services may also occur before or after the scheduled work time".
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
Last day of Venice’s seasonal paid entry fee
A seasonal charge for day-trippers to enter Venice’s historic centre on certain dates during the peak spring and summer tourist season will end on Sunday, July 26th.
The fee, which authorities say is designed to ease the strain of mass tourism on Venice's fragile infrastructure, was in place on more than 60 days this year.