Italy Panorama

Ferie in Italia

August is the traditional month for Italians to go on vacation, leaving the cities and towns in droves for beach and mountain destinations. The vacation season peaks in the middle of the month on the 15th with Ferragosto, the major summer holiday for Italy. Why this particular day?  It is an old-age festa day, based on an ancient Roman festival as well as the Catholic holiday Assunzione S. Vergine, or the Feast of the Assumption. Many businesses of all types will close around this date, some for as long as three weeks.

You will spot businesses with signs on their doors “Chuiso per ferie” with various start and ending dates. You may also encounter reduced hours for businesses and government offices.

Closed fo Ferie sign

Many of the towns and cities in Italy seem like ghost towns as the locals head to the beach or the mountains for some fresh air and relaxation. This can mean that you will find minimal services available in some areas, but excessive crowds along the beach and in the mountains. The weekends around Ferragosto will also mean heavily delayed traffic and congestion on the motorways.

There are, however, plenty of events taking place in Italy during this period to make up for the hassles, from sagre to concerts to historic palio events…and many of these are free.