2006 in Italy

Events during the year 2006 in Italy.

Incumbents

Events

2 January – Russia–Ukraine gas dispute: Italy supplies are down by 30%.
19 January – Italy will conclude its mission in Iraq by the end of the year, in the first clear timetable for Rome to withdraw its troops, says Defense Minister Antonio Martino.
20 January – Archeologists digging under the Roman Forum discover a tomb estimated at 3000 years old, predating the creation of the Forum by several centuries.
10 February – An atheist who sued a small-town priest for saying that Jesus Christ existed has had his case thrown out of court by a judge in Italy.
10–26 February – The Olympic Winter Games are held in Turin.
11 February – H5N1 avian flu virus: first cases of infected wild birds reported in Italy, swans thought to have migrated from Russia in recent months.
12 February – Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi causes a political storm by comparing himself to Jesus Christ.
15 February – Italian ambassador Francesco Trupiano apologizes to Libya on behalf of Italian minister of Constitutional Reform Roberto Calderoli, who suggested Italy use "force against Muslims."
17 February – In Libya, International reactions to the Jyllands-Posten [Muhammad cartoons controversy#Deaths|at least eleven protesters are killed] in riots protesting the Muhammad cartoons outside the Italian consulate in Benghazi, which is burned.
18 February – Reform minister Roberto Calderoli resigns after criticism for wearing a T-shirt depicting the Muhammad cartoons.
2 March – Judges in Milan to charge Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and David Mills in connection with a bribery scandal.
3 March – An Italian parliamentary commission accuses the former Soviet Union of orchestrating the 1981 attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II
10–19 March – The Paralympic Winter Games are held in Turin.
29 March – Afghan Christian convert Abdul Rahman takes political asylum in Italy. Many Islamic clerics and members of Afghanistan's parliament protest his release.,
9–10 April – General election: Romano Prodi, leader of the centre-left coalition The Union, narrowly defeated the incumbent Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the centre-right coalition House of Freedoms.
11 April – Bernardo Provenzano captured near Corleone.
2 May – Murder of Tommaso Onofri
8-10 May – Presidential election
18 May – New Italian prime minister Romano Prodi pledges to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq and calls the Iraq war a "grave mistake that has not solved but increased the problem of security".
28–29 May – Local elections
1 June – The new Justice Minister, Clemente Mastella, announces that left-wing militant Adriano Sofri could be pardoned before the end of the year .
16 June – Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, is arrested as part of an investigation into corruption and prostitution.
23 June – After 16 years in office, Angelo Sodano retires as Cardinal Secretary of State. He will be succeeded by Tarcisio Bertone, until now Archbishop of Genoa.
25-26 June – Constitutional referendum about federalization: rejected by 61%.
9 July – Italy wins the FIFA World Cup by defeating France, 5–3, following a penalty shootout in the final game at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany.
11 August – Transatlantic aircraft plot: 40 people have been arrested throughout Italy, in Muslim communities "as part of an extraordinary operation that followed the British anti-terrorist operation."
13 August – Air Algérie Flight 2208 accident
17 October – 2006 Rome Metro crash
27 October – Murder of Riccardo Rasman
11 December – Erba Massacre

Full date unknown

Drug Target Insights academic journal is founded.

Births

14 March - Simone Pafundi, footballer
25 May - Lorenzo Galossi, swimmer
6 June - Angela Andreoli, artistic gymnast
25 August - Andrea Kimi Antonelli, racing driver
9 October - Matteo Santoro, diver
2 November - Manila Esposito, footballer
7 November - Giulia Dragoni, footballer
15 November - Lara Colturi, alpine skier

Deaths

1 March – Jenny Tamburi, actress and television hostess.
5 April – Pasquale Macchi, Roman Catholic archbishop.
22 April – Alida Valli, actress.
11 May – Ferdinando Tacconi, comics artist.
9 June – Enzo Siciliano, writer.
15 June – Betty Curtis, singer
12 July – Loredana Nusciak, actress and model.
20 July – Ugo Attardi, painter, sculptor and writer.
31 July – Mario Faustinelli, comic book artist.
20 August – Giuseppe Moccia, film director
15 September – Sergio Savarese, furniture designer.
17 September – Leonella Sgorbati, nun.
12 October – Carlo Acutis, English-born Italian Catholic computer programmer
16 October – Ondina Valla, hurdler.
25 October – Emilio Vedova, painter.
2 November – Milly Vitale, actress.
25 November – Luciano Bottaro, comic book creator.
26 November –
28 November – Primo Volpi, 90, Italian cyclist.
13 December – Mario Ravagnan, fencer.
28 December –