CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- This year's "Ferragosto", a public holiday that usually marks the height of the tourist season in Italy, has found more than 10 million Italians on vacation and away from home despite a scorching heat, droughts and surging fuel costs.
Traditionally, the Aug. 15 holiday is the start of a two-week vacation period with roots in ancient Rome. When Emperor Augustus invented the feriae Augusti to mark the end of the harvest, he also made it a moment that signified a period of well-deserved rest. More recently, this involves many Italians flocking to the beach or the countryside, with shop owners hanging "on vacation" signs in their windows.
