Italian public holidays 2027: dates, bridge days and how to plan
The 13 Italian public holidays of 2027 with date and weekday, which fall on a weekend, bridge days and long weekends, and how to plan leave and shifts.
Published 5 min read
In November companies start thinking about next year’s calendar: who is already asking for time off at Easter, who has to set the October shifts, who wants to decide on closures. 2027 has one peculiarity: no public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, so there are no classic bridge days. Here are the dates, the weekends and the useful days, and what is worth settling with the team early.
The 13 public holidays of 2027
The list of public holidays (giorni festivi) is in art. 2 of Law 260/1949, as amended, including 4 October (St Francis of Assisi) added by Law 151/2025 with effect from 1 January 2026. The fixed dates never change; Easter and Easter Monday move every year, and in 2027 they are 28 and 29 March.
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 6 January | Wednesday | Epiphany |
| 28 March | Sunday | Easter |
| 29 March | Monday | Easter Monday (Pasquetta) |
| 25 April | Sunday | Liberation Day |
| 1 May | Saturday | Labour Day |
| 2 June | Wednesday | Republic Day |
| 15 August | Sunday | Assumption (Ferragosto) |
| 4 October | Monday | St Francis of Assisi |
| 1 November | Monday | All Saints |
| 8 December | Wednesday | Immaculate Conception |
| 25 December | Saturday | Christmas |
| 26 December | Sunday | St Stephen’s Day |
In 2026, 4 October fell on a Sunday: 2027 is the first year it is a midweek holiday.
How many fall on a weekend
Six out of thirteen. Four fall on a Sunday (Easter, 25 April, Ferragosto, St Stephen’s Day) and two on a Saturday (1 May and Christmas). The other seven are weekdays: 1 January (Friday), Epiphany, Easter Monday, 2 June, 4 October, 1 November and 8 December.
For people on a Monday-to-Friday week, only those seven take away a working day. For people who also work Saturdays and Sundays, as in shops or hotels, all thirteen matter: what is due in those cases is explained in our guide to working on public holidays. For Saturdays and rest days other than Sunday, the CCNL (the collective agreement) decides.
Bridge days and long weekends
A bridge day (ponte) is the Monday or Friday next to a holiday that falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. In 2027 there are none. There are four long weekends without taking any leave:
- 1-3 January, Friday to Sunday;
- 27-29 March, Saturday to Monday, with Easter and Easter Monday;
- 2-4 October, Saturday to Monday;
- 30 October-1 November, Saturday to Monday.
With a few days of leave they can be stretched, and that is where the requests come from:
| Period | Leave to request | Days in a row |
|---|---|---|
| 1-6 January | Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 | 6 (Friday to Wednesday) |
| 27 March-4 April | Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April | 9 |
| 2-6 June | Thursday 3 and Friday 4 | 5 (Wednesday to Sunday) |
| 1-4 October | Friday 1 October | 4 |
| 29 October-1 November | Friday 29 October | 4 |
| 8-12 December | Thursday 9 and Friday 10 | 5 (Wednesday to Sunday) |
These are only calendar options: whether to grant leave on those days remains a company decision. One local case: 29 June, Saints Peter and Paul, is a holiday in Rome (Presidential Decree 792/1985) and in 2027 it falls on a Tuesday, so for Rome-based sites Monday 28 June is a bridge day.
How to plan leave, shifts and ROL
- Collect requests early. The most sought-after weeks are Easter, early January and the October and November long weekends: a leave plan at the start of the year beats requests one at a time.
- Count the Mondays. Easter Monday, 4 October and 1 November fall on a Monday: for shift workers covering the long weekend it pays to fix the rota well ahead.
- Use ROL and ex-holiday leave on the “bridge” days. If the CCNL allows it, they are the usual way to cover a single day without using vacation: see ROL and ex-holiday leave. ROL (Riduzione Orario di Lavoro) is paid leave in hours set by the collective agreement.
- Prepare the shifts. For departments open on holidays, fix the rotation before the leave requests: see shift planning.
What to agree with the team
- Collective closures. If you plan to close around the holidays, for example from 24 to 31 December, the period must be set and communicated in good time: rules and notices are in our guide to company closure and collective vacation. 24 and 31 December are not public holidays by law.
- Patron saint. It is a local holiday and depends on the municipality of the workplace: it is not in the art. 2 list. How it is treated on the payslip is set by the CCNL, so add it to the calendar only after checking.
- Working on holidays. Who has to work and with what pay should be decided beforehand: see working on public holidays.
- One calendar. Dates, bridge days and closures communicated to everyone in the same way, in writing.
The dates for each year, with Easter and Easter Monday, are in the public holidays calendar, which shows 2026 and 2027.
Mistakes to avoid
- Counting a bridge day that is not there. In 2027 no holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday: check the weekday before promising a “bridge”.
- Using a 2025 or older list. From 2026 there is also 4 October.
- Forgetting the local patron saint. It changes from one municipality to the next.
- Granting leave verbally. Without a written record you do not know who is out or how many days are left.
- Not giving notice of closures. The later the notice, the more questions come back.
How Chrono Desk does it
In Chrono Desk you set your company’s public holidays, which appear in the team calendar next to vacation and leave, and every employee requests leave by choosing type and dates. The manager sees who is out on the critical days and can approve with coverage in mind, and the balance updates in days or hours, including ROL and ex-holiday leave. Whoever works on a holiday records the hours in the timesheet.
Want to see how it fits your collective agreement? Talk to us.
This guide is for information only and does not replace advice from your payroll consultant or the rules of your collective agreement.