August Weather and Holidays in Italy
| Title: | August Weather and Holidays in Italy | |||||||
| Category: | Weather and Holidays | |||||||
| Author: | Daniele Pintaudi | Updated: | Jan 30, 2019 | Views: | 6,202 | |||
| Tags: | august in Italy travel in italy august too hot in italy august weather italy august temperature italy | |||||||
August is a very misunderstood month in Italy. Many people are concerned about traveling there in August because of the crowds. Others are concerned because they have heard that Italy essentially shuts down in August while everyone goes on vacation. Still others avoid August out of fear for extreme heat. There is some truth to all of these concerns, but not as you might think.
With respect to Italy shutting down, that really was once the case, but is no longer an issue. It is accurate to say that August is by far the most popular time of year for Italians to take their vacations, but not as much as years ago. All of the cities would essentially shut down, and Italians would flock to the beaches. Nowadays many Italians travel on a much more global scale, and tend to vacation at various times of the year. The effect of this is that they no longer go on one massive group vacation. Still, it is the month that most people still vacation. What this means is that the cities will not be nearly as crowded as other times of the year, but many stores and all services are still open and available because more and more people are staying home in August.
As a result, you will find fewer crowds in the cities, not more. But most shops and restaurants are still open. The crowds of Italians that are gone from the cities have all gone either abroad, or to various beach cities around Italy (mostly in the deep south).
With respect to the extreme heat, when looking at the weather trends, one will generally find August as a month of cooling. It is generally not as hot in August as it is in July.
To sum it all up, August is likely to be cooler and less crowded, while still entirely active. Adding to that, it is a wonderful time for festivals, music, and an overall fantastic time!
Weather in the North (Venice, Milan, Turin, Cinque Terre, etc.)
The temperature range is roughly between the low 60's to low 80's (16 to 28 C).
Weather in Central (Soriano nel Cimino, Tuscany, Umbria, Florence, Rome, etc.)
The average temperatures range between the mid 60's to mid 80's (19 to 28 C). However, Rome and Florence will be more extreme, reaching into the low 90's at times. Expect sunshine, but warm days sometimes lead to short afternoon thunderstorms.
At our home-bases of Soriano nel Cimino and Norcia, expect the temperatures to be about 5 to 8 degrees cooler than Rome and Florence.
Weather in the South (Naples, Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, etc.)
You should expect temperatures ranging between the mid 70's to high 80's (23 to 28 C). It will be quite warm in the south, and air conditioning in the deep south is not as common as in the north. The beaches are beautiful this time of year, but they are getting more and more crowded with travelers.
How to Dress
Make sure you have comfortable attire, comfortable shoes, and expect warm weather. An umbrella is not necessary.
Best Places to visit
All of Italy is beautiful this time of year, but the coastal towns are extremely crowded. As you get into late August, it is harvest time in the North, so you will see people making wine!
What's Special About This Time of Year
Nature: Sunflowers! Sunflowers! Sunflowers! In Northern Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria, you will see countless fields of sunflowers that are breathtaking beyond words.
Holidays/Festivals:
Palio di Siena: On August 16th, the Tuscan city of Siena holds its second famous Palio horse race.
Harvest festivals in the north.
Wine Festivals
In preparation for the coming grape harvest, many towns known for their wine hold festive wine festivals in August.
Music Festivals
Like July, August is full of music festivals. Countless towns convert their Piazzas to free concert venues, with all kinds of performances happening nightly.
Other Festivals
There are just too many to count in August. They are so common in August, that you may find yourself overlooking a valley at night, where you may see fireworks shooting off from dozens of towns in the distance as part of their celebrations.
Crowds
This is a very busy time of year, but it is for good reason. Italy is alive with amazing energy. The museums and major attractions will be quite crowded, which is why we balance our tours very carefully to get off the beaten path enough that it does not become overwhelming.
Food
It's Watermelon Season! This is the time of year that you find people selling the sweetest and juiciest watermelons off the back of trucks. It is the time when you relax in the cool breeze of a summer afternoon having a Gelato or a Granita. Meals are fresh and light with fruit and veggies that dominate the menus as we dine al fresco. Heavier sauces are gone with lighter summer dishes everywhere. Soups give way to salads, creams give way to fresh tomato pastas, and hot chocolate gives way to gelato!