After Christmas and Easter, the most important holiday in Italy is Ferragosto.  It is the day when Roman Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary ascended into heaven, and It has roots going back to ancient Roman culture.  It is also a holy day of obligation in Italy.

Today, Ferragosoto is a major Italian mid-summer celebration.  All of the cities will be empty - Italians will be at the beach, preparing for the night’s feast, fireworks, festivities, etc.

Alitalia Autumn Sale 2011

Alitalia, Italy's national flagship carrier, just announced an autumn sale (web only) to select cities in Italy and Europe.  Purchase your tickets by August 15, 2011, and travel between September 10 and October 28, 2011. A 14 day advance purchase is required.

Take a look at some of the sample round-trip Alitalia fares (taxes and fees included):

New York (JFK) to Milan
from $812

Chicago (O'Hare) to Venice
from $994

Boston (Logan Airport) to Florence
from $914

Visit their site for more details.

If you plan on driving in Italy, it helps to acquaint yourself with some of the Italian road signs. In general, the road signs in Italy conform to the most of the ones you will see in many European countries.

In the picture to the right, there are actually 2 Italian street signs. A circular sign, like the one you see on the left in the picture, is a sign of prohibition. This particular sign means that vehicles are prohibited in this area. This photo was taken in a marina with boats docked. You will also often see this sign in a "centro storico" or in the historical central district of town. Usually these older areas are vehicle-free because of the narrow streets, and also to reduce the pollution in these historic districts.

The triangular sign in the right part of the picture indicates a warning. In this instance, there is danger of falling into the water if you continue on the dock. Or in other words, if you ignore the Italian sign, you may be sleeping with the fishes! :-)

Rent a car in Italy

Alitalia announced a new bus service that will link Fiumicino (FCO) airport to Termini Station, the main station in Rome.  This is a nice service, being that the train service from FCO to Termini costs about € 14 each way. The train service leaves every half-hour starting at 06:38 through 23:38. If you are an Alitalia passenger, you may want to consider the service mentioned below:

NEW ALITALIA BUS SERVICE TO ROME CITY

Traveling between Fiumicino Airport and the center of Rome is easier than ever thanks to the Alitalia Bus. All Alitalia passengers traveling between Fiumicino Airport and Rome can now take advantage of the newly introduced Alitalia Bus and enjoy a comfortable, carefree ride. The Alitalia Bus is offered in partnership with Alitransport, and is available to all Alitalia passengers arriving or departing for a fee of only € 7 each way, which must be paid using a credit card.

Passengers arriving at Fiumicino Airport may meet the bus at the arrivals area of Terminal 1. The Alitalia Bus provides nonstop transportation to Termini Station and to select locations in Rome City. Passengers may also take advantage of the shuttle service when traveling back to the airport by reserving in advance and selecting a pick up location. The bus service is always available based on passengers’ requests at time of booking.

Passengers may reserve the service on alitalia.com. Alternately the service may be purchased at the arrival area of T1 at Fiumicino Airport or the dedicated Alitalia Bus area at Termini Station located on Via Giolitti.