diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 988fdd43..4fcaa32e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
+        # on macos-11 instead of macos-latest, see https://github.com/bancaditalia/black-it/issues/79
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-11, windows-latest]
         python-version: [3.8, 3.9, "3.10", "3.11"]
 
     timeout-minutes: 30
@@ -37,14 +38,23 @@ jobs:
 #      env:
 #        ACTIONS_ALLOW_UNSECURE_COMMANDS: true
 #      run: ...
-    - if: ${{ (matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest') || (matrix.os == 'macos-latest') }}
-      name: Unit tests and coverage (ubuntu-latest, macos-latest)
+    - if: matrix.os == 'macos-11'
+      name: Install dependencies (macos-11)
+      run: |
+        # for some reason this seems to be a necessary step for MacOS images, but not for Ubuntu and Windows
+        brew install hdf5
+        brew install c-blosc
+        # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/73029883/could-not-find-hdf5-installation-for-pytables-on-m1-mac
+        echo "HDF5_DIR=/usr/local/" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        echo "BLOSC_DIR=/usr/local/" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+    - if: ${{ (matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest') || (matrix.os == 'macos-11') }}
+      name: Unit tests and coverage (ubuntu-latest, macos-11)
       run: |
         pyver=`echo ${{ matrix.python-version }} | tr -d "."`
         tox -e py${pyver} -- -m 'not e2e'
         tox -e py${pyver}-nb
-    - if: ${{ (matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest') || (matrix.os == 'macos-latest') }}
-      name: Notebook tests (ubuntu-latest, macos-latest)
+    - if: ${{ (matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest') || (matrix.os == 'macos-11') }}
+      name: Notebook tests (ubuntu-latest, macos-11)
       run: |
         pyver=`echo ${{ matrix.python-version }} | tr -d "."`
         tox -e py${pyver}-nb