Moving to Italy is a big step for anyone, and it’s only natural to worry whether the reality will match the dream.
Will it be too hot in summer, will we make friends, what will we do all day!? And with the summer’s hotter than ever these days, for those from northern latitudes will living in summer in Italy be bearable at all?
For me, from southern England, summer in Italy is different from winter, but just as blissful. Yes, it’s about the heat and sun and blue skies, but we don’t just deal with it, in many ways we revel in it.
As I write the temperature here is 38°C. But I have got used to getting up with the sunrise when it’s cooler and resting after lunch. The summer also brings lots of fun evening events, from concerts in piazzas, to medieval tournaments.
When does summer start?
While April and May have very pleasant temperatures, the heat of summer arrives at the start of June. Schools close around the 9 June and don’t go back until September. With more families and children out and about in town the atmosphere feels like a holiday.
There are more people sitting outside the cafes now and we see people selling fresh produce from the back of their Piaggios. Generation after generation of one local family sets up a melon stall each summer in the same spot by the post office. It’s exciting to see the wooden frame going up with palm branches on the roof. They then decorate it with flags and beachballs. When I see it full of watermelons it feels like its officially summer.
Cafes that were displaying biscuits and cakes in spring have now switched to a big display of refreshingly tempting gelato. When in town you are never far a way from somewhere selling gelato or granita, (which is ice scraped into a glass with a fruit syrup, usually lemon). And people that sell gelato are always so happy and friendly.
Summer Fauna
Another sign that summer is here is when the swallows fly in, circling our courtyard to announce their arrival. We also see a lot of geckos on the walls, so we turn on the outdoor lights to attract insects for them. They are fascinating to watch, as they dash and grab a moth.
Our neighbour keeps horses, so there are always a few foals in his field at this time of year. While photographing the sunset yesterday a young fox walked across the field and a heron flew from a tree near the river.
On my way home from town the other day, which is only five minutes drive, I got held up by the biggest herd of sheep I’ve every seen. They totally filled the road. But I was in no rush, and its so funny to see them with their long floppy ears.
In the heat of the day we hear the cicadas, which some people find noisy, but you just get used to them and don’t notice after a while. They only start calling for a mate when temperatures are in the 30s. Once they quieten down for the night, the owl starts. Then in the morning it’s the collared doves. The countryside isn’t always totally silent, but being surrounded by nature is wonderful. If you dream of a home close to Italy’s wildlife, you may want to read this previous article.
Living in Italy’s summer temperatures
Day time temperatures in June gradually crept up from 30° to 36°C. In my experience, 35°C is about average through the summer, but it can reach 42°C.
Friends who live in a nearby hill town get less heat than those of us in the valley, and local Italians go to the beach as often as they can to enjoy the sea breezes. Indeed, many Italian families that live in our local town in Puglia also own a property near the beach. It’s only about 35 minutes’ drive away. So, they go there between mid-July and the end of August. If the parents work, grandparents will take the children. Those that can afford it might also take a holiday in the mountains to go hiking in the fresh cool mountain air.
How to keep cool in an Italian summer
Living in Italy year round, we decided against the expense of air-conditioning. But I do have a fan on a stand, to keep myself and my laptop cool. Over the years we have developed a summer daily routine to deal with the heat. This includes:
- Getting up early to watch the sunrise.
- Opening all the doors and windows to try and get a through breeze.
- Watering the plants, topping up the pool and filling the water tank if needed. (This is the cheapest time of day to use the electric pump.)
- Once the sun starts to shine on the doors and windows, we close everything up, including curtains. This helps keep the cool in and heat out.
- Get any jobs done around the house and in town in the early morning. Supermarkets and shopping centres are usually lovely and cool.
- Shade is your best friend. Don’t just shade yourself, but anything you need to keep cooler, including outside walls and ceilings.
- We have a small pool, which we partly shade with umbrellas, and also an outdoor shower, which we have also shaded. So, we can have a cool dip any time.
- Taps and pipes get boiling in the sun, plastic goes brittle and wood splits. Therefore, we cover them with fabric throws to help protect them. In this way we have extended the life of our outdoor furniture etc. We even hang curtains on the outside of doors, and cover the car and solar panel.
- We have a leisurely lunch, either salad or something we can cook on the cooker top or outside. We don’t use the oven, as it acts like a radiator.
- Afternoon nap. We are fortunate that our house has a cantina, which is partly underground dug into the bedrock. It stays cool down there, so we use it as a bedroom in summer.
Serata al fresco (evening in the fresh air)
Since living in Italy, I have seen so many beautiful sunsets and star filled night skies. Yet, they still leave me in awe. Summer evenings are spent outside in the slightly cooler air. We wait until it gets dark, because if there are mosquitos about, sunset is the time they like to feed. Although, I’ve actually only seen a couple this year so far.
We have several scented plants in our courtyard that mosquitos don’t like. The good thing about rosemary, basil, sage and mint is that you can also use it in your cooking. Ours have grown huge in raised beds near the barbeque.
When we renovated our house, we made sure we had a smooth white wall outside that we could project open air cinema on. It’s not unusual to see people in town sat on chairs in the street with the TV facing out from the doorway.
Summer events
Even though our local town isn’t a tourist hot spot, it does organise several free events in the piazzas over the summer. In June there were art exhibitions in various locations, an open courtyards event, vintage motorcycles, a run, and the local dance schools have been performing their end of year shows in the outdoor amphitheatre in the park.
When living in Italy year round a good way to settle in is to attend community events. Usually, they don’t start until after 8.30pm. Concerts might start at 9 or 10pm. Even on quiet evenings it’s nice to join the Iocals for the passagiata. This is an evening stroll along the main pedestrianised street, often involving meeting friends for a chat.
The local comune (council) publish an events list for July, August and September. The festival for the towns Patron saint is in September, so they always put on big concerts for that. Other events in our area include a medieval procession and tournament, and living chess. Most of these events are attended by all ages, and the streets feel safe with a delightful community atmosphere.
Mediterranean Games
This summer Taranto in Puglia is hosting the Mediterranean Games, which will bring many more people from other countries to this region. New sports facilities have been built and it should really put Taranto 2026 on the map as an Italian summer destination. It is located on one of the most beautiful coastlines in Puglia.
Eating out
If we eat out, we tend to go to one of two of our favourite restaurants which have outdoor seating. We are usually the first in there at 8pm, and the Italians start arriving after 9pm. We often see big groups at long tables, that are celebrating with family and friends. It’s usual here to celebrate birthdays with pizza.
Prices are pretty good. A mixed grill costs €15, a 300g fillet of beef is €18, a Margherita pizza is €6 and the most expensive pizza is €10, and they are both huge.
Like many Italians, we only drink water with our meal, but the menu shows a 40cl German lager from the tap is €5.50 and a 33cl bottle of beer costs from €3. Wine costs from €16 a bottle, or €4 a glass.
However, if we were to go to a touristy town like Ostuni, the prices are much more. It’s always worth looking where the local Italians are going. It may be a couple of streets back from the main piazza that you will find the best food at the cheapest prices.
See how Italian living costs compare with 13 other countries here.
Browse the markets
Most Italian towns and villages have a weekly market. Our local one covers eight residential streets. Two of which has stalls selling, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and bread. The others sell clothes, shoes, fabric, bedding etc. A stroll through the fruit section is wonderful in the summer, and you are sure to find a fruit you haven’t tried before.
Some towns have monthly antiques markets. They are great for a Sunday morning stroll. It can be like visiting a museum, as there are old olive oil pots, tools, ornaments, lights, etc. I can always find a place to park, where you don’t pay.
Living in Italy in the summer
Overall, living in Italy in the summer is relaxing, unless you have to work. For those working in the hospitality sector it’s a very busy time of year. Before embarking on a move to Italy, with the idea of offering holiday accommodation, you should consider the work involved preparing rooms on a hot day.
Going out doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. There are so many free events, and places to walk and meet people. You don’t feel like you have to buy drinks. Look around most Italians are holding either a bottle of water or a gelato, which in our town costs €2.50 for a small tub.
The Italian summer heat is a good excuse to put off any physical jobs around the house until the Autumn and enjoy late evenings out. No one is going to frown at you for having a nap in the afternoon, or eating gelato every day. When you are living in Italy a swim in the sea or pool is about as energetic as you want to get on a summer’s day.
