ethylene

I am working on an itinerary for northern Italy in early August and I’m wondering what impact festivals – particularly Ferragosto – will have on our plans. Our dates are fixed, but we have not booked anything yet.

We are planning to be in Venice Aug 6-8, Florence Aug 9-10, and driving around Tuscany (including Siena where the Palio will be held) Aug 12-14. After that we are headed to the Cinque Terre.

I’d like to know if anyone has visited these areas during festival time, and if so, has it been a good or bad experience? My family is divided; some think it will add to the fun, but I worry about traffic jams, closed or crowded restaurants, higher prices etc.

jamikins

Here is the info I found using google:

Ferragosto, or Assumption Day, is an Italian national holiday celebrated on August 15. Many businesses and shops in Italy are closed on August 15 although on the coast and near major tourist sites shops are more likely to be some open. Most museums and tourist sites are open on August 15. Many Italians head to the beach for Ferragosto, so the coast (and coastal roads) are usually very crowded while the cities may be fairly empty.

Traditionally, Ferragosto marks the start of Italy's vacation period so if you're in a city during the second half of August, you may find a number of restaurants and shops closed for vacation, chiuso per ferie, however near tourist sites there will be some open.

It sounds like you will be in cinque terre on 15 Aug - I would flip your trip and go there first to avoid the crowds. It doesnt sound like the rest of your trip will be impacted...

jamikins

And here are some festivals:

Ferragosto Festivals
You'll find celebrations in many places in Italy on this day and the days before and after, often including music, food, parades, or fireworks. Here are a few top Ferragosto Festivals:

•Rome's Gran Ballo di Ferragosto fills Rome's squares with live dance performances. There's a different type of dance in each square.
•Diano Marina in Liguria holds a festival of the sea with a good fireworks display. See Liguria Map
•In Tuscany, Montepulciano holds a historical pageant and games.
•Cappelle sul Tavo, near Pescara on the Abruzzo coast, celebrates with the Palio of the Pupe, huge effigies paraded through the streets at night. During the procession, they eventually explode with fireworks. See Abruzzo map
Festivals on August 16:

•Siena in Tuscany runs their second Palio in the central square on August 16 - see Palio of Siena.
•Sassari in Sardinia holds the Festa dei Candelieri that dates back to the 16th century. In this exciting festival held on August 16, you'll see a race with teams of men bearing huge and very heavy candles. See Sardinia map
•Girifalco in Calabria celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Rocco on August 16.

Personally I hate crowds so I would avoid these festivals, but thats just me

rineurope

Living in Rome, we used to "pray" that nothing "happened" in August. Heaven help you if you needed to find a plumber to fix your toilet in August - our's once took 2 weeks!

That's because many people go on vacation for the entire month - or at least 2 weeks of the month. Many smaller, local shops and services (which you probably won't be using) may be closed.

The biggest impact for you will be the transportation options. Most of the buses and trains are on *holiday schedule* so there are fewer routes available.

Siena is CRAZY during the Palio - hopefully yo already have rooms or you may be driving into town from afar. Good Luck!

ethylene

I think we are going to try to get to Siena before Palio. We aren't keen about the thought of huge crowds either.

Good to know about the transportation schedules too.

Hopefully we won't run into any broken toilets either.

Many thanks