Ferragosto: Festivals and Holiday Events in Italy

Where does the name Ferragosto come from?  The name Ferragosto comes from the name of the Roman Emperor Octavian.
How can it be? How can the name Ferragosto come from Octavian?
Octavian defeated all his enemies and he became the first emperor to be honoured with the title of Augustus, the Greatest of all, in the month of August 27 BC
By that time, the month of August had already been devoted to religious and civilian celebrations: August 1st was the day devoted to the Goddess Spes, The Hope, and even the Goddess of Salus, the Goddess of Security and Well Being, and Diana had their celebrations in the same month.
The Roman God and Goddess were not the only ones to be celebrated in this month; the Romans used to pay honours to the deities of the populations they incorporated in their large empire: the Egyptian Goddess Isis used to be celebrated on August, 12th and the Etruscan God Vortumini was honoured on the following day, August 13th.
When Octavian became Augustus he declared the whole month Feriae Augusti, Augustus’ holidays.
In 21 BC, the Feriae Augusti became Feriae Augustales.

Italy celebrates the peak of the holiday period on August, 15th and Italians call it Ferragosto though many can’t track anymore the origin of the expression to the name of the Roman emperor.

People go to the sea or to the mountains and every activity holds the “Sorry, we are closed” sign. Except for events and parties.

La Danza delle Spade (The Swords dance) at Torrepaduli (Lecce)

In times past arguments end up in a real duel with offenders fighting blades in hands.
Today each night on August, 15th couples of fighters struggle in a dancelike duel at the sound of clapping hands, tambourine and concertina.
Want to spend the night here in trendy Salento? Reserve a room at B&B Masseria Uccio or at  B&B Casakarina nel Salento 

We like them: they are both located in Specchia, one of the oldest historical Italian villages and they are both located a few miles from Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean one meets.

Palio dei Normanni (The Joust of the Normans) at Piazza Armerina (Enna)

Sicily is a land where people have landed, lived, fought and sometimes left leaving the island to new arrivals for ages and ages.
The Joust of the Normans celebrates one of these moments: in 1087 the Moors were sent away by the Normans. The Quintana del Saracino, the local name for the Joust,  is the highlight of the entire celebration: knights from the four city districts fight one another aiming at getting the highest score hitting the Saracino, a wooden token.
Feeling you belong to this magic land? Stop at Masseria Sciaritelle 

We like it:it is right in the Parco delle Madonie, the local Natural Park.

Notturna delle Lucie (Reagatta of the Lucie) at Lecco

Save the date: 9.15 PM on August, 15th at Isola Viscontea.
The old time boat depicted by the Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni in “The Betrothed” will cut through the Lake of Lecco waves turning around the little island Isola Viscontea a couple of times so that all tourists and residents will be able to admire their lights and colourful ribbons. The boats will be decorated exactly as they were decorated in the 16th Century.
Want to spend a romantic week end on the lake? Stop at B&B Alla Bonacina.

We like it: it has a swimming pool and kids go crazy when they discover some of the rooms were the henhouse spaces.

Cover image: Summer in Grotticelle, Capo Vaticano, Italy, ph. by castgen, via flickr

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