Yes we soon in the middle of August and most workers in
Italy take a well-deserved summer vacation. These days it is usual a 2 week
vacation from around the 10th until the 23rd. Back in the
1980, 90s and even into early 2000 companies in Italy was in Norway known to
take the hole August off. This has changed. It is to understand that a
manufacturing plant need to stop working for a few weeks to do maintenance on
machines, and that is what we see today, two weeks complete stop at a company.
There are special reasons for a vacation at this time. Ferragosto
is an Italian and Sammarinese public holiday celebrated on August 15th,
coinciding with the major Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary. By metonymy,
it is also the summer vacation period around mid-August, which may be a long
weekend (ponte di ferragosto) or most of August.
The Feriae Augusti (“Festival of Holidays of the Emperor
Augustus”) were introduced by the emperor Augustus in 18 BC. This was an addition earlier ancient
Roman festivals which fell in the same month, such as the Vinalia rustica or
the Consualia, which celebrated the harvest and the end of a long period of intense
agricultural labor. The Feriae Augusti, in addition to its propaganda function,
linked the various August festivals to provide a longer period of rest, called
Augustali, which was felt necessary after the hard labor of the previous weeks.
During these celebrations, horse races were organized across
the Empire, and beasts of burden (including oxen, donkeys and mules), were
released from their work duties and decorated with flowers. Such ancient
traditions are still alive today, virtually unchanged in their form and level
of participation during the Palio dellAssunta which takes place on August 16th
in Sienna. Indeed the name “Palio” comes from the pallium, a piece of precious
fabric which was the usual prize given to the winner of the horse race in
ancient Rome.
During the festival, workers greeted their master, who in
return would give them a tip. The custom became so strongly rooted that in the
Renaissance it was made compulsory in the Papal States.
The modern Italy name of the holiday comes directly from the
Latin name.
The popular tradition of taking a trip during Ferragosto
arose under the Fascist regime. In the second half of the 1920s, during the mid-August
period, the regime organized hundreds of popular trips through the Fascist
leisure and recreational organizations of various corporations, and via the
setting up of the “Peoples Trains of Ferragosto”, which were available at
discounted prices.
The initiative gave the opportunity to less well-off social
classes to visit Italian cities or to reach seaside and mountain resorts. The
offer was limited to August 13th, 14th and 15th,
and comprised two options: the “One-Day-Trip”, within a radius of 50-100 km,
and the “Three-Day-Trip” within a radius of about 100-200 km.
In religion the Catholic feast of the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary also falls on the August 15th, and is a major
feast and Holy Day of Obligation.
The ancient Roman goddess Diana was honored on August 13th.
Seen from the West side
Seen from the East, look pretty good
Our great architect and Construction Company arrange the
work force so it will be only one week complete stop on the progress on our
house. No work will take place according history between August 10th
and 15th.
With sunny weather and temperature above 30 degree C since
late June and its looks like it will not stop until way into September we have
been fortunate with extreme good working conditions, maybe a bit too good as
the temperature has touched 40 degree C at times. A reason for the workers to
have a working day from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Looking at the pictures we got from the architect this time
show us work in progress and some interesting things for some. Yes, getting
close to finishing the roof and they have started to remove the floor at first
floor. For those who have not seen an Old Italian floor before have an opportunity
now. For our guest who will stay at first floor, we do changes to the better.
Things moves quick
Looking down to what will be the kitchen
We expect to have a trip to see the progress in October, but
I am sure both the Pasqual, Gianluca and Galileo will send us photos so we can update the
blog prior to that.
Enjoy the summer !!
