Ferragosto is the traditional holiday dating back to the time of Emperor Augustus. August 15^th is the official nation holiday, the state- recognized Catholic feast day of the Assumption of Mary. Most Italians summer vacations kick off this day and run til September 1^st .  During this time, Italians take their holidays to escape the heat-...

May Day, May 1, is a public holiday all over Italy. Why? It is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker or International Worker’s Day, a National Holiday. On May 1, 1955, Pope Pius XII granted a public audience to the Catholic Association of Italian Workers, whose members had gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to celebrate the tenth anniversary...

If you are in Italy on May 6 of any year, see if you can stop by the San Damaso Courtyard in the Vatican Palace.   This is the day the new Swiss guards are sworn in. This traditional ceremony of swearing in the new recruits for the Swiss Guard is held the same day every...