4 October, St Francis: Italy’s new national holiday
Pick the year: the tool says which day 4 October falls on, whether it makes a bridge and how many days off you get with your leave.
Time left until 4 October 2027, St Francis, 4 October 2027
340days22hrs0min0sec
4 October 2027, St Francis of Assisi
Monday
National holiday since 2026 (Law 151/2025): in 2027 it lengthens the weekend by itself.
| Weekday | Monday |
| Best long weekend | Sat 2 October – Sun 10 October |
| Leave days needed | 4 |
| Days off in a row | 9 |
| Year | Day | Bridge with leave |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | – |
| 2027 | Monday | 4 leave → 9 days |
| 2028 | Wednesday | 2 leave → 5 days |
| 2029 | Thursday | 1 leave → 4 days |
| 2030 | Friday | 4 leave → 9 days |
| 2031 | Saturday | – |
| 2032 | Monday | 4 leave → 9 days |
| 2033 | Tuesday | 1 leave → 4 days |
| 2034 | Wednesday | 2 leave → 5 days |
| 2035 | Thursday | 1 leave → 4 days |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · Law 260/1949 and amendments checked on 28 October 2026
Since 1 January 2026, 4 October has been a national holiday in Italy: Law 151 of 8 October 2025 created the national feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, and added it to the list of holidays in Law 260 of 1949. Until then 4 October was only a civil commemoration, with ceremonies but no day off. In 2026 the new holiday fell on a Sunday and changed nothing; in 2027 it falls on a Monday, and the weekend of 2 to 4 October lasts three days without leave. Four leave days, 5 to 8 October, stretch it to nine days off. In 2028 4 October is a Wednesday, in 2029 a Thursday with a one-day bridge on Friday 5. In the ten years from 2026 it falls on a weekday 8 times. For workers it counts like any other holiday: paid rest, or a premium if you work.
4 October in the coming years
The tool lists the weekday of 4 October for ten years. The best years for a bridge are those when it falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, as in 2029; on a Monday or Friday it lengthens the weekend by itself; on a Saturday or Sunday, as in 2026 and in 2031, it brings nothing, since Italy does not move it.
What Law 151 of 2025 says
Law 151 of 2025 creates the national feast of St Francis of Assisi "to celebrate and promote the values of peace, brotherhood, care for the environment and solidarity", and adds the 4 October line to article 2 of Law 260 of 1949. It was published in Official Gazette no. 236 of 10 October 2025. The same law keeps 4 October as a civil commemoration of St Catherine of Siena, patron saint of Italy, with events in schools.
Of the 85 towns whose patron saint we have checked, 2 celebrate it on 4 October itself: Bologna (San Petronio) and Massa (San Francesco d'Assisi). There the new national holiday adds no day off. For every other town the new holiday comes on top of the patron saint: one more rest day whenever 4 October falls on a weekday.
Long weekends 2027 in Italy: using 4 leave days
Long weekends 2027 in Italy: using 4 leave days
11 days off
| Fri 1 January – Wed 6 January | 2 → 6 days |
| Sat 29 May – Wed 2 June | 2 → 5 days |
The full list of 2027 holidays is on public holidays 2027; the new holiday's first year on public holidays 2026.