The Italian parliament has voted to reinstate 4 October as a national public holiday, restoring the day off in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi after almost half a century. The Italian senate on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill after it was passed in the lower house last week with 247 votes in favour and just two against.
The bill, backed by the ruling right-wing parties, calls for cultural initiatives dedicated to Italy's patron saint and the values he embodied: peace, fraternity, inclusion and environmental protection. The public holiday on 4 October, which was removed from Italy's calendar of public holidays in 1977 for economic reasons, will be reinstated as of next year.
