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![\"spiaggia\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.arttrav.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/spiaggia.jpg?resize=300%2C324&ssl=1\")
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Museums are closed on Ferragosto, and some churches will be busy with services. But the resourceful traveler will find plenty of interesting things to do on this day. Here are my top 10 picks.<\/p>\n
1) Go see the ostentation of the Madonna’s Belt in Prato<\/strong>. The sacred relic of Prato<\/strong> is displayed to the public five times a year from the pulpit by Donatello on the outside of the Cathedral, amidst much pomp and circumstance. (The Donatello pulpit depicts dancing putti all around, and has been replaced by a copy on the exterior corner of the Duomo; go inside the museo del Duomo if it’s open to see the real thing.)<\/p>\n 2) cure what ails you at a thermal bath establishment. Call to make sure it’s open, and don’t expect to be able to book a massage.<\/p>\n 3) head to Siena for the palio<\/strong> that takes place on August 16th. Festivities start building up the day before.<\/p>\n 4) Go to Orbatello to the WWF protected coastal lagoon and see pink flamingos<\/strong>. Then pitch a tent at the nearby Argentario camping village<\/strong>; stay up all night partying with Italians and playing with fireworks.<\/p>\n 5) to to any beach<\/strong> in Tuscany or elsewhere. Arrive early and stake your square meter of sand with a tent or other makeshift shelter. Bring a large cooler containing pasta al forno and melanzane (if you’re in the south) or sandwiches (in the north). Now you are living the holiday like a real Italian – congratulations.<\/p>\n 6) The archaeological museums of the province of Bologna are, with only one exception, open this year for Ferragosto. This is a rare enough occurance to merit its own web page.<\/p>\n 7) if in Rome, go to the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival<\/strong> to see JAVIER GIROTTO & AIRES TANGO, which costs 12 euros and kids\u00a0get in\u00a0free.<\/p>\n 8) if you like Italian pop music<\/strong> and if screaming pre-teens is your thing, go to Riccione (night-clubbing beach town par excellence) to see Cesare Cremonini<\/strong>. For the slightly more mature music lover, Claudio Baglione<\/strong> (still good looking in his, what, 60s?!) is playing in Piombino (province of Livorno).<\/p>\n 9) Go surfing. There are no opening hours for that.<\/p>\n 10) I’m running out of ideas… Go to church<\/strong>.\u00a0Churches will be celebrating the Assumption of the Madonna, so around 10am, you can certainly go to a service in the Duomo of any city or town.<\/p>\n Got any better ideas?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Write ’em here in the comments section!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" August 15th. It’s got to be the most dead moment in any Italian city. It’s the national holiday particular […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[870],"tags":[929,312,293,323,349,350],"yoast_head":"\n