How is it possible that in August businesses close and Italy comes to a halt? Is this really a thing? Yes!
My first experience in Europe was in England, where August, December, or any month is a work month, and the weather is so awful that you don’t even realise it’s summer. It came as a shock when I moved to Paris and saw that the city emptied in August, I have these amazing pictures standing basically alone on the Champs-Elysees mid afternoon in August, granted this was almost 15 years ago and I don’t think it’s quite as radical now, but August was dramatic in Paris. Until recently, there were laws making sure that not all bakeries closed at once, they needed to take turns, now they are “strongly advised” to arrange amongst themselves to ensure residents have access to their morning bread no matter where they are.
Of course Florence had to better France, they have a way of doing it. Florence will never be a ghost town, you can walk around the centre in mid-November and the city has life and tourists, but don’t you try to get anything done in the month of August, and by anything I mean: a hair appointment, have something fixed in your house, look for a new house, get any bureaucratic process done or even just started, anything, Italy closes for August. Yes, I am exaggerating, but it is incredible to see how many businesses close for the whole month. Some choose mid-July to mid-August, some mid-August to mid-September, but on August 15th you can count on the fact that the city of Florence will be as empty as it will ever be. Not of tourists, of residents!
August is one of the top months for burglaries, neighbours take turns watching each other’s homes as they leave the city. You walk in the city, I swear I have seen an ice cream shop do this, and see that businesses place a handwritten note on windows giving the 4 or 5 week long closing spell. As somebody who regularly welcomes clients to the city of Florence during the month of August, I can say the best thing about it is driving, there is no such thing as traffic and you can find parking spaces so easily. But where do the residents go? If you go to any beach, you’ll find them, some also go to the mountains. I did once and we got so far up that I actually have a photo of snow in August, so it’s safe to say you get away from the heat that way.
But no, life doesn’t stop in August. All the tourist attractions remain open, as do the restaurants and hotels in the center. A tourist might not even notice the difference, but as residents—or for those dreaming to retire in Florence—we feel it. Then September arrives, bringing the bustling energy of everyone returning home, and life begins anew. Autumn, here we come!