As summer arrives in Italy, the rhythm of daily life begins to shift, especially outside the cities. In towns and villages across the country, the signs are unmistakable: plastic chairs appear in the piazza, parish banners are unfurled, and the smell of frying food drifts through side streets.

Loudspeakers crackle to life in the early evening, children rehearse their roles for the procession, and kitchens begin their quiet preparations. Headlines may focus on coastal tourism or crowded city centers, but the heart of Italian summers lies elsewhere, in the steady return of local rituals that transform even the smallest community into a place of celebration.