The heat is on in Italy and the biggest holiday of the year is around the corner. If you’ve ever wondered why the country shuts down in August, read on!
Ferragosto: The Italian Superholiday of August 15
If you’ve ever been to Italy in August, especially mid-August, you will have noticed that the whole country seems to be on holiday, businesses included. The only enterprises that are 100% operational are the bathing establishments, bursting at the seams with deeply tanned bodies, scampering children, and an air of utterly carefree enjoyment.
So what’s up with this August shutdown of a nation?
Blame it on Ferragosto — the biggest holiday of the year in Italy.
The tradition of Ferragosto goes back over two thousand years, tracing the evolving story of the nation’s workforce from times long before there even was a nation. To the Italian people, Ferragosto is the most beloved of holidays. It is so universally celebrated that one might think its observance were part of their genetic makeup.
Keep reading for a little background on this Italian superholiday, as well as what to expect if you are visiting the country around August 15.
Ferragosto: Its Roots and History
The Feriae Augusti date back to Roman times, when Emperor Augustus inaugurated the festival in 18 BC. After the long and arduous summer season of cultivation, the holiday was created to give workers a rest from their toil in the fields. Originally the celebration fell on August 1.
Fast forward many centuries, to when the Catholic Church is calling the shots. In order to include a religious component in the holiday, the church moved the date of Ferragosto to August 15 — the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day commemorates Mary’s bodily ascension into heaven.
Ferragosto in Modern Times
Ferragosto these days is synonymous with an exodus from the city to the sea or mountains. The vast majority of businesses are closed, except for some restaurants and cafés (and, of course, the bagni, the seaside bathing establishments).
During the era of fascism, Mussolini invented schemes to aid the less-privileged classes, whereby they could travel very cheaply by train to the seaside or to visit cultural sites. The people packed lunches and picnicked on shores and lawns, a tradition that continues to this day, irrespective of social class.
While Italians may still celebrate Ferragosto with picnics and simple family gatherings, mid-August can be a complicated time to visit Italy. Seeing as most of Italy’s citizens have booked their lodgings months in advance (and the rest are clamouring to figure things out at the last minute), finding availability at hotels and vacation apartments can be a challenging task for visitors. And of course the cost of lodgings is off the charts in August, which is ironic when you think about the holiday having been created for labourers.
Ferragosto: What to Expect if You Are Vacationing in Italy in Mid-August
During Ferragosto, public transportation will be running, but on the festivi (holiday) schedule.
Some archeological sites will be open on August 15. Most museums, however, will be closed. In 2024, the Vatican Museums will be closed on August 14, 15, and 18. (Closure dates around Ferragosto change from year to year at the Vatican.)
You can count on offices and the majority of businesses to be closed on Ferragosto. Many restaurants will also be taking ferie (holidays), so it’s always a good idea to call before going out to eat in August, otherwise you might schlep across town in the volcano heat only to find that trattoria you were dying to try closed, with a hand-written “Chiuso per ferie” sign taped to the saracinesche.
Ferragosto can be a fun time to visit Italy — if you don’t mind the crowds and high temperatures. You will find streets and parks in inland places such as Rome and Florence pretty much empty, and a parking space or shady spot on a lawn easy to find. Any place on the seaside, on the other hand, will be a total party scene overflowing with humanity.
In Giardini Naxos (on Sicily’s eastern shore), the local tradition is to camp out on the beach on the evening of August 14 (as pictured in the image for this section). The scene is very lively. Music is playing everywhere, and talking and laughter fill the air along with the marvelous smells of barbequing. If you haven’t come prepared, nessun problema! One of the locals will surely invite you to sit down and partake in the charbroiled abundance along with a Birra dello Stretto (beer produced in nearby Messina).
As the writer of this newsletter can attest, you can't beat Southern Italian hospitality at this most festive time of year, but no matter where you go in Italy in August, you will find a convivial atmosphere of national proportions. Buona festa!
DriverInRome is always at your service, even during the holidays of August. Let us escort you around Italy in air-conditioned comfort.
