Ciao, Amici! Italians are crazy about Ferragosto! They brave bumper to bumper traffic to go the the beach on vacation where they are supposed to enjoy nature and time away from ‘crowded’ cities while resting and relaxing…. While this is an excellent idea, reality often turns out to be quite different!

In the meantime, the great Italian cities are wonderfully empty, a true paradise for tourists and ‘home bodies’.   I grew up in Rome and my very favorite summer time was….Ferragosto in the Eternal City.  Have a look at the photo on your right and you will understand why. This is a street in the historical center of Rome. There is no one about and all stores and apartment windows are closed. Most of the Romans are away on vacation!  Why? You will learn how Ferragosto started and what it is today by reading  the short history of Ferragosto at the end of this post.