Time Zone History

Italy time zone history

Rome left local mean time (UTC+0:49:56) in 1866, the fifth-earliest switch of the 298 zones with local mean time in the record. Clocks have been changed 114 times since 1970, tied for the most among the 38 zones in Europe.

UTC+1

Standard time is UTC+1 (CEST/CET); clocks go forward to UTC+2 on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.

tz database name Europe/Rome

Convert a time from Italy

Summer time in every year since 1970

UTC+0:49:56: 10 minutes behind today’s standard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+0:49:56: 10 minutes behindtoday’s standard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

186018801900192019401960186019001940
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
December 12, 1866Local mean time (UTC+0:49:56) replacedUTC+0:49:56RMT
October 31, 1893Standard time forward 10 minutesUTC+1CET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1916June 4October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1917April 1October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1918March 10October 71 hour, CET to CEST
1919March 2October 51 hour, CET to CEST
1920March 21September 191 hour, CET to CEST
1940June 15not that year1 hour, CET to CEST
1942not that yearNovember 21 hour
1943March 29October 41 hour, CET to CEST
1944April 3September 171 hour, CET to CEST
1945April 2September 151 hour, CET to CEST
1946–1947third Sunday in March, 02:00first Sunday in October, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1948February 29October 31 hour, CET to CEST
1966–1968fourth Sunday in May, 00:00fourth Sunday in September, 00:001 hour, CET to CEST
1969June 1September 281 hour, CET to CEST
Since 1970
1970May 31September 271 hour, CET to CEST
1971May 23September 261 hour, CET to CEST
1972May 28October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1973June 3September 301 hour, CET to CEST
1974May 26September 291 hour, CET to CEST
1975June 1September 281 hour, CET to CEST
1976May 30September 261 hour, CET to CEST
1977May 22September 251 hour, CET to CEST
1978May 28October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1979May 27September 301 hour, CET to CEST
1980April 6September 281 hour, CET to CEST
1981–1995last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1996–2037last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in October, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (CET to CEST) on March 29, 2026, March 28, 2027 and March 26, 2028 at 02:00 and back 1 hour (CEST to CET) on October 25, 2026, October 31, 2027 and October 29, 2028 at 03:00, local time.

Also on UTC+1

Tunisia, Albania, Switzerland, Malta, Serbia, Austria, Hungary, Andorra, Czech Republic and Algeria (nearest first; 10 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Tunisia (601 km): same time except 9,325 days in 1970–2005 and 2009–2026.
  • Albania (614 km): same time except 787 days in 1970–1984.
  • Switzerland (685 km): same time except 1,407 days in 1970–1980.
  • Malta (690 km): same time except 377 days in 1973–1980.
  • Serbia (725 km): same time except 1,771 days in 1970–1982.
  • Bulgaria (895 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 1,180 days in 1970–1996.

How it compares

Standard time has stayed at UTC+1 since 1893.

On standard time, clocks in Rome run 10 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.