Italy's 2026 Maturità Exams Begin for Over 527,000 Students

On Thursday 18 June 2026 the national high‑school graduation exams (Maturità) started across Italy. A total of 527,747 candidates – an increase of 0.6 % on the previous year – sat for the first written test in Italian, which presents seven essay topics split into three types: two literary analyses (Cesare Pavese’s poem “Passerò per Piazza di Spagna” and a passage from Vitaliano Brancati’s *I piaceri*), three argumentative texts (including Giuseppe Saragat’s 1946 Constituent Assembly speech, Mario Calabresi’s excerpt *Alzarsi all’alba*, and Frank Furedi’s “I confini contano”), and two current‑affairs pieces (Wenke Husmann’s article on “Incanto” and Piero Bianucci’s essay on scientific writing). The Ministry of Education and Merit disclosed that the Calabresi passage was chosen by 23.2 % of students, making it the most popular trace.

The second day (19 June) will hold the subject‑specific written test, with Latin for classical students, mathematics for scientific tracks, foreign language for linguistic courses and a range of technical or artistic subjects for other schools. Minister Giuseppe Valditara addressed the candidates, urging them to reflect on their talents. Flaminia Giorda, described as “the custode dei temi”, oversees the secure release of the exam papers. Regional data show the highest number of examinees in Palermo (≈10 000) and notable disparities in admission rates, ranging from 93 % in Sardinia to 97 % in Molise. New regulations also distinguish between genuine emotional difficulty and “scene mute” strategies, affecting the validity of the exam for non‑participating students.