Ferragosto In Roma

September has just begun, meaning the end of my least-favorite month in Rome...August. Despite being hot and humid, Rome is a complete ghost-town for most of the month. Traditionally, Italians take most of the month of August off, shutting down their businesses and heading down the the seaside to relax and escape the heat of the city. Romans call it "Ferie," basically meaning holidays. It is fantastic for them...but not so great for those of us remaining in town. Want to have something drycleaned? Eat at your favorite local restaurant? Visit a dentist or stop in to the office supply store? Try again in September. Supermarkets and gas (petrol) stations grudgingly remain open, but with few exceptions storefronts remain closed down, with their doors displaying similar homemade signs as this:

At the mid-point of Ferie, on August 15th, Romans celebrate one of their favorite holidays - Ferragosto. Originally, this holiday had some religious connotations, but it is now basically just one of the biggest parties of the year. Unfortunately for us, it doesn't happen in Rome! While the city is a major ghost town for the whole month of August, come the 15th, you will be hard-pressed to find a Italian person anywhere in Rome. Everyone that is not already there heads down to the seaside for a long day of eating, drinking, and fireworks on the beach that Italians look forward to all year long. We had heard in the past that this was an interesting day to go into the city early in the morning, to experience for likely the one and only time, a silent Rome. Since tourists usually don't emerge from their hotels until 9AM or so, we drove in at  7AM to check it out. The usually loud and bustling streets were completely empty, and I got to see my city from a completely new perspective. It was utterly peaceful and beautiful, and almost felt like rediscovering the place again for the first time. Although admittedly, there was some grumbling when I voluntarily dragged myself from bed at such an early hour on a holiday, I am so happy I did. Here are a few photos of a deserted Rome.

The Arch of Constantine

Driving past the Colloseum

Piazza Venezia. This was one of the most impressive places to see empty...it is normally so full of cars, scooters and people that it was really breathtaking to experience in this way.

Spanish Steps....normally too covered with people to see the actual steps themselves.