Italy operates on Central European Time (CET) during winter months, which is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+1). During daylight saving time, observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, Italy switches to Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+2.
All of Italy follows the same timezone, from the Alps in the north to Sicily in the south. Major cities including Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples, and Turin all observe the same time.
Italy is home to two independent countries within its borders—Vatican City and San Marino—both of which share Italy's timezone. The ancient Romans were pioneers in timekeeping, dividing the day into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness, though the length of each hour varied with the seasons.