Italy’s mythic ‘month off’ in August was hard won. It would be good for us all

Just a few days ago I shared on my Scribbles space the concept of Ferragosto with my readers. As always happens on the web, on a complete serendipity a friend shared with a (closed) group of readers of a particular newsletter the following link: Italy’s mythic ‘month off’ in August was hard won. It would be good for us all. Among many things a couple hit me with their authenticity: Villeggiatura offers an alternative model. Instead of Airbnbs, it relies on long-term lets and family homes. Instead of sightseeing, it privileges sunbathing and sleep. Instead of tasting menus and overpriced cocktails, it prioritises simple rituals, like sharing focaccia and watermelon on the beach with family and friends. But also, more dramatically: Unfortunately, though, fewer and fewer Italians are able to achieve it. Where workers were once able to decamp for weeks on end, the average holiday had dropped to 13 days by the 1990s as deregulation transformed the labour market, and the figure now stands…