What Italian public holidays should I plan around?

The ones that will actually affect you are August 15th (Ferragosto), Easter Sunday and Monday, and the stretch from December 24th to January 6th. Also on the list: January 1st and 6th, April 25th, May 1st, June 2nd, November 1st, and December 8th, 25th and 26th. On these days shops and many restaurants close, public transport runs on a reduced schedule, and museums vary — some close, some are free and heaving. Every town also has a patron saint's day when that one city half-shuts: Rome on June 29th, Florence on June 24th, Venice on November 21st.