# 2022 in Italy

The following is a short summary of Economic and Political events in Italy in 2022:
Economically, the country suffered the impact of a global inflation surge following the COVID-19 pandemic. Politically, in January President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected for a second term, and in February the Italian government responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a partner of the North Atlantic Alliance, authorising weapons shipments to Ukraine. The country also experienced a government crisis, with subsequent elections bringing into office the first female Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.

## Incumbents

* President: Sergio Mattarella
* Prime Minister: Mario Draghi (until 22 October), Giorgia Meloni (from 22 October)

## Events

The following is a list of events during the year 2022 in Italy:

### Ongoing

* COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
* Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy

### January

* 1 January: Despite the public ban on not using New Year's barrels, throughout Italy, 14 people are seriously injured after the use of unauthorized fires.
* 3 January: A 40-year-old woman drowns her son in the sea in Torre del Greco.
* 8 January: The Scala dei Turchi monument in Agrigento (Realmonte) is vandalized.
** Serie A announces the closure of football stadiums with a capacity of over 5,000 due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
* 13 January: The tenth anniversary of the sinking of the Costa Concordia in which 32 people died.
* 15 January: In Turin, a man kills a little girl by knocking her off a balcony while playing a game with her.
* 16 January: In Naples, there is a boom in electric bike sales; in a single day, 15,000 models are sold.
* 17 January: Following the spread of the Omicron variant, the Aosta Valley is put in the orange zone.
** An egalitarian marriage committee is created to speed up the approval process for same-sex marriage in Italy.
* 19 January: A man from Viareggio suffering from psychological disorders barricades himself at home with his elderly father and is arrested for attempted murder of a firefighter.
** Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese signs a security pact against crime in Naples.
* 20 January: A family from Syria with serious physical disabilities is taken to Siena to be cared for by Caritas.
** The Royal Palace of Caserta celebrates the 270th anniversary years of the start of its construction.
* 21 January: Work begins on the construction of the new Salerno Airport, which will be completed by 2024.
** The 40-year anniversary of the arrival of the historic Japanese cartoon Tiger Mask in Italy.
** The European Court of Human Rights condemns Italy for having separated a mother from her daughter in the city of Brescia.
* 22 January: Silvio Berlusconi withdraws his candidacy a few days before the presidential election.
** In Taranto, a man injures 2 officers who were chasing his car.
** An 18-year-old boy dies while working as an intern in Udine.
** 23 people are arrested between Apulia and Calabria for participating in international drug dealing from Turkey and the Netherlands.
** Starbucks closes its stores in Milan.
** A few dozen people protest in Milan against vaccines and green passes.
* 23 January: In Brescia (Rezzato), an accident between a car and a bus kills 5 young people.
** A survey is released naming Milan the most expensive city in Italy, with the cost of food 47% higher than in Naples. Naples, Palermo, and Pescara are named the cheapest cities.
* 24 January: The 2022 Italian presidential election occurs.
** Following the spread of COVID-19 (Omicron variant), the Health Minister Roberto Speranza signs an ordinance that puts Piedmont, Sicily, and Friuli in the orange zone, while Apulia and Sardinia are put in the yellow zone.
* 26 January: In Livorno, a 12-year-old is beaten and laughed at by a group of boys for being Jewish, an act that was condemned by Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi.
** The houses of illegal IPTV broadcasters, who provided free viewing of Sky channels, DAZN and films, are searched in the regions of Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.
** The financial police confiscate 50 smartphones and shut down an illegal service where Sky's paid service was broadcast completely free of charge.
* 28 January: In Ostia, a girl denounces her parents to the Carabinieri.
* 29 January: Sergio Mattarella is re-elected as President for a second term.
* 30 January: A fire in an apartment in Reggio Emilia kills 2 children.

### February

* 1–5 February: The Sanremo Music Festival 2022 takes place in Sanremo.
* 1 February: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Prime Minister Mario Draghi by phone seeking reassurances on gas supplies for Italy.
** In the city of Agrigento, a policeman kills his son with a service pistol.
** In Cagliari, a newborn is hit by a hijacker in front of his mother; the man is sentenced.
* 2 February: In Rome, a group of activists vandalizes the headquarters of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
** In Grumo Nevano, Naples, a man strangles a 23-year-old woman to death, and the man is arrested.
* 3 February: Sergio Mattarella is sworn in as President of Italy, starting his second term.
* 5 February: Milan is classified as a big European city, with a total of 20 skyscrapers.
** US broadcaster CBS broadcasts the Derby di Milano in order to promote football in the United States. The match was broadcast live from San Siro.
* 8 February: Carabinieri search a Roma camp in Giugliano, Naples, finding ultra-light aircraft engines stolen the night before.
** In Como, an elderly woman who died two years earlier is found by the police sitting on a chair in a state of complete decomposition.
* 9 February: Following an investigation into corruption in Salerno, five people are arrested, including the PM Roberto Penna.
* 11 February: Mount Etna erupts during the night.
* 15 February: A man from Rome finds a note in a COVID-19 mask alleged to be from an African slave in China, however, there is no evidence of the note's accuracy.
* 18 February: In Turin, during a demonstration for the safety of young people performing internships, a group of students attacks the confindustria using eggs against the police; seven injuries are recorded.
** A ship traveling between Italy and Greece is damaged by a fire.
* 19 February: Protestors consisting mainly of university students and activists protest the Green Pass in Milan.
* 24 February: Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio condemn Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
* 27 February: Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Mario Draghi announces that Italy aligns itself with the harsh sanctions of the European Union against Russia.
** The Italian government closes its airspace to Russian planes.
* 28 February: The first Ukrainian refugees arrive in Italy mostly direct by bus to Trieste, Milan, Rome and Naples.
** The Italian government sends weapons and equipment to Ukraine whilst Italian soldiers are positioned in Romania alongside other NATO forces.

### March

* 1 March: Prime Minister Mario Draghi announces the reopening of coal factories due to the ongoing gas crisis.
** The 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of Lady Oscar is commemorated
** The Italian embassy in Ukraine is moved from Kyiv to Lviv due to security reasons.
* 5 March: A demonstration against the war in Ukraine is held in Rome with over 50,000 people taking part, however some people demonstrate against NATO.
* 6 March: The police seize villas, yachts and luxury goods from Russian oligarchs present in Italy following the economic sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
* 7 March: Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the prices of wheat and gasoline rise throughout Italy and Europe.
* 12 March: Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio visits Angola and the Republic of the Congo to find new agreements on gas supplies to Italy.
* 16 March: In Vicenza, a 25-year-old man kills his parents to steal their money and investments.
** Schools in Somma Vesuviana, Naples, welcome Ukrainian children who have escaped from the war.
* 17 March: The 161st anniversary of Italian unification is commemorated.
* 24 March: The Italy national team remains out of the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time after Russia 2018, losing 1–0 in the playoff match against North Macedonia in Palermo.
* 29 March: Mario Draghi visits the city of Naples where he is met with protestors demonstrating against unemployment and COVID-19 vaccinations
* 30 March: Mario Draghi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discuss peace in Ukraine.
* 31 March: The state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic officially ends.
** A storm in Palermo causes damage to buildings in the city.

### April

* 1 April: A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Italy is presented for the first time in the Senate.
** After a year, the parliamentary commission closes the Denise Pipitone case, ending with no progress.
* 3 April: Bari Calcio returns to Serie B after 5 years.
* 5 April: Thirteen earthquakes are recorded in the Phlegraean Fields.
* 11 April: Catania Calcio is expelled from the Serie C championship, declaring total bankruptcy.
* 16 April: Mario Draghi and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio travel to Angola for an agreement on the import of gas.
* 17 April: An attack in Piazza San Carlo near the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples kills a 25-year-old man.
** Numerous attacks take place in Trieste and Trento; a 14-year-old boy is seriously injured in a stabbing.
* 18 April: During the Napoli-Roma football match, 91 cars are seized, 135 reports are made, and 27 squatters are apprehended.
* 21 April: Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio signs an agreement for gas supplies to Italy with the Republic of the Congo.
* 24 April: For the first time in the history of Italian football, a team from Trentino Alto Adige, Is Südtirol, lands in Serie B.
** Modena F.C returns to Serie B.
* 25 April: Liberation Day
** A brawl occurs between "baby gangs" in Naples; the problem of baby gangs grows in the main Italian cities, including Naples and Milan.
** Crotone Calcio definitively collapses after having excited between Serie A and Serie B returns to Serie C 13 years later.
* 27 April: In Nola, Caritas welcomes around 120 Ukrainians who fled the war.
** During the celebration of April 25, the secretary of the PD Enrico Letta is harshly contested by a group of the extreme left that calls for Italy to leave NATO.
* 28 April: A 60-year-old bartender from Pesaro is sentenced to 3 years in prison for pedophilia.
** Football prosecutor Mino Raiola is hospitalized urgently for lung disease; rumors about his death begin to circulate and are immediately denied.
* 30 April: The cassation canceled the acquittal of Simone Pillon; after 6 years, the Senator of the Lega will return to trial for homophobic discrimination.
** Reports are made that, according to a former Russian minister, Russia is preparing an attack on the NATO countries and a target to hit would be in Aviano (Pordenone).
** After two days of speculation, the death of Mino Raiola is announced by the prosecutor's family.

### May

* 1 May: The government removes major restrictions against COVID-19, except for mask requirements.
** Some owners of a fishmonger in Naples are attacked while opening the shop.
** Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov threatens Italy to be in the front row against Russia.
* 2 May: The Roman rock group Måneskin joins the Spotify Billions club.
* 4 May: A woman from Macerata is brutally beaten by her husband after he discovers her divorce intentions.
** Postal police and Save the Children recommend greater attention to online games, as pedophile victims have risen 47% across Italy.
** In Somma Vesuviana, car thefts occur, with the carabinieri arresting two people.
* 5 May: In Milan, a 90-year-old woman is robbed by thieves who had offered to help her with an ATM.
** Roma becomes the first Italian team to reach the UEFA Conference League final.
* 6 May: Cremonese returns to Serie A after 26 years.
** Lecce returns to Serie A after two years.
* 7 May: Dimitri Roveri, a provincial footballer for Mantova 1911, dies on the pitch following a cardiac arrest.
** The dead body of a boy is found in Milan.
** An illegal Labrador puppy mill in the city of Sessa Aurunca is closed.
* 8 May: A man from Somma Vesuviana manages to escape from a robbery attempt while thieves shoot at his car.
** In the city of Alessandria, a lesbian woman is beaten and sent to the emergency room.
** San Donato Tavarnelle arrives in Serie C for the first time. Its promotion confirms the best period for the provincial teams since 2010.
* 10–14 May: Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is held in Turin, and won by Ukrainian folk rap group Kalush Orchestra with the song "Stefania".
* 10 May: A drug dealer from Rome escapes on a scooter after being chased by the police, and is subsequently arrested inside a McDonald's.
* 11 May: 2021–22 Coppa Italia final Inter-Juventus. Inter win 2–4.
* 13 May: Milan becomes the first city in Italy to use QR codes to pay the bill in restaurants without waiting.
* 14 May: A retirement home in San Vitaliano (Naples) gives expired drugs to the elderly.
** The Filadelfia Stadium in Turin is reopened.
* 15 May: Two boys are stabbed while walking in the maritime area of Naples.
** After 15 years in Serie A, Genoa are relegated to Serie B.
* 16 May: Rome is put on red alert zone for swine fever spread because of boars.
** In the town of Brusciano (Naples), 17 representatives are arrested from groups linked to Camorra.
* 17 May: Milan is proclaimed an area of freedom for LGBT people, and also recognizes the sex change of trans people.
* 20 May: Monkeypox arrives in Italy.
* 22 May: Milan wins Serie A after 11 years.
** Salernitana becomes the first team not to be relegated to Serie B with 31 points.
* 23 May: 30-year anniversary of the Capaci massacre, where the anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone was killed.
** First hospitalization for monkeypox in Arezzo.
* 24 May: In Turin, the police seize an orange truck containing drugs; the 2 drivers are arrested.
** The first positive cases of monkeypox in Lombardy.
* 29 May: A shooting takes place in the comune of Qualiano (Naples).
* 30 May: In a school in Bergamo, a cylinder explodes and 5 children are burned.
** Two sisters are scarred with acid in Naples.

### June

* 3 June: The first municipality to approve the gender registry is Milan.
* 10 June: The case of Chievo Verona, which could return to Serie B, is reopened.
* 18 June: In Catania, an 11-year-old girl is killed by her mother.
* 21 June: The political party Movimento 5 stelle splits following the departure of Luigi Di Maio, who will form a new party.
* 27 June: After the Caserta pride parade, homophobic writings and attacks were recorded.

### July

* 3 July: 2022 Marmolada serac collapse.
* 3–6 July: Olympics of the real Neapolitan pizza.
* 8 July: A storm strikes Naples, creating a lot of inconvenience and damage.
** Teramo Calcio and Campobasso Calcio are excluded from Serie C in 2022–23.
* 11 July: First convictions for the attacks on the CGIL in the autumn; all Forza Nuova participants are sentenced to six years in prison, except the two leaders who are sentenced to house arrest.
* 13 July: In Lecce, the gender registry for trans and non-binary people is approved; it is the second Italian municipality to do so.
** The Catania football team is re-founded and starts from Serie D.
* 14 July: The 2022 Italian government crisis of the Draghi government begins.
* 16 July: The West Nile virus returns to Italy, with the first cases in Veneto and Emilia Romagna, and one death registered.
* 20 July: The Senate votes with 95 of the senators in favor of the trust in Mario Draghi, who is rejected.
* 21 July: Prime Minister Mario Draghi announces his resignation while President Sergio Mattarella dissolves the chambers and calls for new elections.

### August

* 9 August: Domino's Pizza announces it is pulling out of the Italian market after seven years.

### September

* 6 September: The case of Angela Celentano reopens.
* 9 September: Brothers of Italy causes controversy in its statement against the cartoon Peppa Pig for including a lesbian couple.
* 15–16 September: 2022 Marche flood.
* 25 September: 2022 Italian general election.
* 26 September: The students of the Manzoni high school in Milan occupy the building in protest against Meloni's victory.

### October

* 13 October: Ignazio La Russa becomes the President of the Senate of the Republic. He is the first politician with a neo-fascist background to hold the position of President of the Senate, the second highest-ranking office of the Italian Republic.
* 14 October: Ultraconservative Lorenzo Fontana becomes the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
* 19 October: Volleyball player Paola Egonu decides to leave the Italian national team after various racist insults.
* 20 October: In Naples, the NAS close the pizzeria that invented the pizza Margherita (in 1889) due to poor cleaning.
** The Salerno police and the financial police arrest a drug dealer selling drugs on the seafront.
* 21 October: Giorgia Meloni receives the task of forming a new government from President Sergio Mattarella; she become first female prime minister in Italian history.
** An illegal immigrant from The Gambia who had been selling drugs for six years in Salerno is arrested and repatriated.
** Six people are put under house arrest after stealing fish from Salerno markets.
* 22 October: The Meloni Cabinet becomes operational. It is variously described as a shift to the political right, as well as the first far-right-led coalition in Italy since World War II.
* 27 October: A man stabs five people including the Monza Calcio player Pablo Marì in the city of Assago (Milan).
* 27–29 October: The 100th anniversary of the March on Rome.
** Thousands of supporters of Benito Mussolini parade.

### November

* 16 November: Italy is officially a candidate to host Euro 2032.
* 26 November: 2022 Ischia landslide.

### December

* 7 December: In Verona, 13 people from groups linked to the fascist extreme right attack a group of Moroccan families, who were celebrating Morocco's victory over Spain, with sticks and iron chains.
* 22 December: In the Denise Pipitone case, former prosecutor Maria Angioni is arrested for making false claims about the investigation to find the girl who disappeared 18 years earlier.