I
went to Rome in mid-August because of the school holidays. In mid-week was a
festival called the Ferragosto. Being on 15 August, it fell dead-center of my
trip.
The
Ferragosto comes from the name of Emperor Augustus who declared the 1st
of August a public holiday after weeks of Romans hard work. The holiday then
became law during the Renaissance period in the Papal States. It was the Catholic
Church that moved the date to the 15th August, incorporating the
Assumption of Mary. So this day celebrates two things.
But
Mussolini used the Ferragosto to give the workers the opportunity to visit
cultural sites. Nowadays, the Italians to the coast or the mountains during the
Ferragosto period.
I
read on blogs and travel sites that Rome goes quiet around the Ferragosto.
Certain shops close, traffic eases and tourists thin out. Indeed up until the
nineties, many companies did close. However, my trip to Rome would show
otherwise.
This
might be due to loss of custom because of closures. It seems Italy decided to
keep operating during this so-called holiday in order to keep custom.
In
my view, the 15th August felt the same as any other day; the busses
were as packed as ever, the trattorias were filled with diners and shops filled
with customers. The
only difference was that there were festivals and song in various piazzas. I
was arrested by street artists in the Piazza Navona one evening. I also noticed
the Via del Corso closed to traffic, which was nice. There were more police
around.
So
don’t believe the websites that tell you that Rome goes quiet during the
Ferragosto. It doesn’t. In fact it seemed like any other day.
Read
all my articles on Rome on my Rome
a Survival Kit
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| Crowded Trevi Fountain during Ferragosto |
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| Piazza Venezia on Ferragosto |
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| Crowds on the Spanish Steps during Ferragosto |
