Ferragosto
A sacred break
Most of Italy is at the beach right now. The piazzas are emptying out, the city streets are quiet, the manic energy of July is giving way to sleepy afternoons, family time and lazy nights around the barbecue. Whatsapp threads are alight with plans. Excitement is in the air (and a good dose of FOMO too.)
Economists often find it baffling - incomprehensible - that Italy, an under-performing G7 economy, takes a month off every year. Of course, this isn’t true across the board. Many workers now confine their breaks to a couple of weeks. And for those employed in logistics, public transport and tourism this is actually one of the busiest times of year. Nevertheless, despite the caveats, there’s some truth to the stereotype. Italians - as a whole - have a reverential relationship with August. The right to a long summer break is sacred. Not to be questioned.
The Parliament will be closed for the next five weeks. Giorgia Meloni is heading to the Valle d’Itria for a modest vacanza; far from the VIP resorts. Giuseppe Conte will also be in Puglia, at his family’s second home. Matteo Salvini and Matteo Renzi are hiking in the Dolomites. Carlo Calenda is in Norway. Elly Schelin is limiting herself to a single week in Tuscany. As she put it before the recess: “poverty doesn’t go on holiday.”
Rhetoric aside, the leaders will have a packed agenda to confront on their return. A debate on the minimum wage, on new spending priorities for the EU recovery funds and, most controversially, on proposed reforms to the judiciary. Party campaigners will start gearing up for the European elections, which are already causing significant tensions for the ruling coalition (Lega and Fratelli d’Italia being split between conflicting international relationships with the ECR and EPP).
Nevertheless, with the country at a virtual standstill, and the short-staffed newspapers reduced to gossip magazines for the foreseeable future, there’s little option but to log off. I’ll be taking some time out for a kind of informal writing retreat; to focus on a slower-burn, long term, long-form project that’s close to my heart. Italy’s summer feels long. Unbelievably so. But – frustrations about the heat aside – it’s a key part of what makes life here so enjoyable. Smashing limoncello spritzes day after day after day is one valid way to pass the August weeks, sure. But the summer is also a good chance for self-care, for reflection, for spending time with loved ones, for sleeping, reading, making art.
So on that note… I’m off! The Week in Italy will be back on 7 September, as per tradition, with a Venice Film Festival special and a preview of the autumn’s cultural events. In the meantime, thanks to all of you for reading, for sharing and for continuing to engage so thoughtfully with these posts.
Buone vacanze a tutt* and more soon!
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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