The sad statistic about how little vacation time Americans get is regularly trotted out, so next time you hear it you can add to the misery by realizing that Italy in August is one big vacation for Italians. In most of the country, the weather in Italy is such that getting the heck out of the cities isn’t just a “wanna” experience, it’s a “gotta” - and the beaches and mountains are, for one solid month of each year, wall-to-wall people. It might be that it’s primarily Italians on that beach, but you may not care - it’s still going to be crowded. The cities, on the other hand, may be close to deserted during August.
Now, don’t worry if you’ve got a big trip planned to Rome or Venice in August - the touristy cities aren’t deserted. Shops and restaurants are open, and hotels are doing a brisk business. But if you look closely in any non-touristy area you’ll find that there are also plenty of stores and markets that are shuttered up tight for the entire month of August. In some parts of the country, although you might think August in Italy is still the high season, you may see a slight drop in things like hotel rates in August. I think the airlines will still charge you an arm and a leg for air tickets, however, so don’t expect the same kind of drop there. Sorry.
It gets warmer in Italy the further south you go - this is true all the time, and in August you’ll notice it even more. In Rome, for instance, you don’t want to reserve a shade-less sight like the Roman Forum for the hottest part of the day. No matter where you are, make sure you’ve got indoor plans for the height of midday. And in Rome be sure to fill your water bottles up whenever you see one of the numerous public fountains - the water is blissfully cold and delicious.
Even in August you can find the occasional festival in Italy or local event taking place around the country - if there’s one going on near where you are, check it out. Some of them are massive, like the second of two Palio di Siena runnings that take place each year, and some are more intimate - but either way they make great and unique vacation snapshots as well as help to give you a peek inside the Italian culture. You can see a sampling of Italian festivals with this Italy festival finder. Some highlights from August include the annual liquefying of a saint’s blood in Amaseno (maybe because it’s so hot?), and the Festival of the Bistecca in Cortona (a summer BBQ, Tuscan style).
One annual event in August in Italy is the Ferragosto celebration, which is every August 15. It runs closely behind major Catholic holidays like Christmas and Easter in terms of importance, and represents the day when the Virgin Mary is supposed to have ascended to heaven. Practically speaking, it’s a day marked by fireworks displays and lots of local celebrations throughout the country.
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