I understand August 15 is a national holiday in Italy. In doing a search on this forum, it seems that the concensus is that "everything is closed on this day". However, I need clarification on what "everything" means.

Stupid question number 1: Does that mean restaurants are closed???

Stupid question number 2: Does that mean most shops will be closed?

Stupid question number 3: Does "everything" mean that probably all museums and tourist attractions are closed but restaurants are open?

As you might guess, we will be in Italy (Venice) on August 15. Need to know how to plan this day (the middle of our 3 days there).

Mille grazie!

Certainly, not "everything" in the country will close. Many restaurants and shops will close and will use this day (more likely from the preceeding Saturday since the 15th is Monday) to close for the remainder of the month. But in the big cities like Rome, Florence and Venice, you will still find a good selection of places to eat and shop. If you have your heart set on a particular restaurant or shop, it might be wise to call ahead and see if they will be open. This is generally true for anything during the month of August as some places close for the entire month. Some museums will be closed but others remain open (the majority) because people go to museums when they are on vacation.