La Bella Vita is our regular look at the real culture of Italy – from language to cuisine, manners to art. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.

Italy as a whole pretty much draws to a halt in August, with millions of Italians leaving for their coveted long holidays and anything from private businesses to public offices closing for at least two weeks (though three- or even four-week-long ferie are far from rare around the boot). 

But as workplaces empty out and large parts of Italy’s major cities are left all but deserted by the ‘summer exodus’ (or esodo estivo), the country’s cultural calendar fills up with all sorts of open-air events and festivals. 

From historic high-energy races to a nationwide stargazing festival and traditional Ferragosto celebrations, here are our best picks for things to do in Italy next month.

What’s on: 9 unmissable events taking place around Italy in August 2024

With August just around the corner, thousands of Italians will soon load up their cars with swimsuits, beach towels and cooler bags galore, and head off to their seaside holiday homes to enjoy the vacanze.

But if you’ve ever had the impression that nearly every Italian you know owns a seconda casa (second home) by the sea or in the mountains, that feeling may not be too far off from reality.

While in many countries owning a second home is seen as a luxury only few can afford, this is surprisingly commonplace in Italy, and not just among wealthy families, but also for medium- to low-earning households.

Our writer Silvia Marchetti explores the reasons behind this peculiar trait of Italian society in the article below.

EXPLAINED: Why do so many Italians own second homes?

Tricky grammar and essential vocabulary are generally the first things Italian learners are encouraged to get familiar with in their path to proficiency, but there are some hugely popular words and phrases that you may not find in ordinary textbooks or online courses.

Whether you’re looking to reach native speaker level or simply add some panache to your Italian, learning common exclamations like che palle and chi se ne frega, and incorporating them in your conversations will be well worth the effort.

Eight Italian exclamations that will make you sound like a local

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Is there an aspect of the Italian way of life you’d like to see us write more about on The Local? Please get in touch at [email protected].