Reasons why Ferragosto is celebrated, a pagan festival that subsequently acquired a profound religious meaning, from what the name derives.
Rest of Augustus
The term Ferragosto derives from the Latin feriae Augusti, which means Augustus' rest, in honor of the first Roman emperor Augustus, from whom the month takes its name.
This rest period, established by the emperor in 18 BC, originated from even older celebrations called the Consualia, dedicated to the god Conso, god of barns and supplies, which took place after the harvest and harvest.
The emperor declared Augusti feriae throughout the month of August, grouping the various festivals that were celebrated in those days, in particular on the 13th day dedicated to the goddess Diana.
Ferragosto has become a Catholic feast since the Assumption of Mary in Heaven is celebrated on August 15, a dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in 1950, but which had much more ancient origins, dating back to the fifth century AD.
During the Fascist period, with the popular Ferragosto trains, from 13 to 15 August trains were organized at special rates to allow even the less well-off social classes to be able to visit Italian cities, or to reach mountain and seaside resorts with trips of a day or three days depending on the distance.
However, in Italy the August holidays began in the 1960s with the right to paid annual holidays, established by the Constitution, and the economic boom.
