How Italians are avoiding the worst of the heat this summer

Image source, Reuters

ByMalu Cursino

Temperatures across Italy are soaring to levels deemed threatening to people's health and wellbeing.

Looking ahead to Thursday, the ministry of health has issued a red alert for all of Italy's 27 major cities, external, including popular tourist destinations Milan, Naples, Venice and Rome.

As Europe's holiday season continues, the BBC spoke to experts about how to make the most of Italy during this latest heatwave.

While some Italians say the current heat is "not a new phenomenon" given climate change, others from southern Italy have voiced their shock when visiting northern cities and towns.

Time your outings

Visiting outdoor attractions during Italy's hottest hours (after lunchtime) is a "big mistake", Simone Quilici, director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, tells the BBC.

The Colosseum is not prescriptive about when people should visit, instead directing visitors to guidance from the regional authorities.

To make visits cooler, the ministries of tourism and culture are allowing some attractions to stay open into the evening.

Last week the government shared these additional opening hours, external during August:

• Colosseum (Rome) - open Fridays and Saturdays between 19:45 to 23:30
• Pantheon (Rome) - open from 19:00 to 23:00 every day except Thursdays
• Sforza Castle (Milan) - open from 17:30 until 19:30

Image source, Reuters

In the Colosseum, cooling fans with mists have been set up in the entrances. Staff have also increased the number of medical stations available for emergencies.

While temperatures are high, Rome has become used to it, Quilici says, explaining this is not an isolated situation but the "global phenomenon" of climate change.

In his role as director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, Quilici says he is in talks with archaeologists to introduce more shade-providing vegetation.

Also in Rome, Mateo Medina says his team have introduced tours from 22:00 until midnight. Medina, director of operations at Vivicos International Travel, has also seen higher demand for 08:00 tours.

Seek out parks, museums and churches

Air conditioned museums are unsurprisingly top of the heat-escaping list.

Visiting some of Italy's many churches is another way to shelter from the heat, while absorbing the Catholic nation's heritage.

Cooking classes and wine tasting sessions - usually hosted in venues with air conditioning - are becoming a popular alternative to walking tours, Medina says.

He also recommends the capital's parks - villa Borghese, villa Adriana, Parque de Acquedotti - for shade, and visiting the underground Catacombs of San Sebastian and San Callisto.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Locals and tour guides who spoke to the BBC recommend sheltering from the sun during Italy's hottest hours

Marco Carrino, a tour guide in Naples, warns against visiting open archaeological sites during the hottest hours of the day.

Many of his tours are to Pompeii. He recommends getting up early or, if possible, avoiding the hotter months altogether.

He also encourages tourists to head to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, which he says is "very important for archaeology and has a great Roman, Egyptian and even Greek collection".

For Italian travel expert and writer Alessia Armenise, supermarkets are an underrated gem.

As well as being air conditioned, she says you can do what she does and head to their deli counters and grab a reasonably priced, fresh and made-to-order sandwich "instead of queuing for those silly focaccia places that honestly taste the exact same".

Go off the beaten track, and book ahead

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Enjoying a Sicilian granita - or Rome's grattachecca - is another way to stay cool

If you are somewhere in Italy with a natural body of water, or any water feature, plan your activities around it, Armenise says.

"Instead of walking, get a boat," she says. "Sometimes you will see things you cannot access via land."

Instead of hiking a coastline, you can see it from the sea, she explains, with the added bonus of cooling water splashing on you.

For Dr Agata Chrzanowksa, an art historian and tour guide in Florence, the hills and mountains north of the city are "a very good spot to runaway from the heat" for those driving. She highlights the Garfagnana region in particular.

If seeing attractions like the Vatican in Rome is a non-negotiable, Armenise suggests booking in advance to avoid waiting in line in scorching temperatures.

Several landmarks sell tickets online ahead of time. However, you need to be organised as tickets tend to sell out quickly, Medina says.

Do as locals do

While world-renowned attractions like the Colosseum might be top of your list, it's worth trying out local galleries and museums in smaller towns and cities which will often be less crowded and have a cafe where you can stay for hours, Armenise says.

In a recent trip to Bologna, the travel writer felt so warm one evening that she decided to head to the cinema.

While watching a film is something you could do back home, she says people might stumble on an old theatre which is "still a part of the history of that city".

If you find yourself in Verona in need of an evening activity, she suggests a concert at the Verona Arena, an amphitheatre in the city centre.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, One of Florence's tour guides suggests heading to the Odeon cafe and bookstore to cool down

Dr Chrzanowksa, asked if she can share any local tips, suggests Florence's Odeon cafe and bookstore.

She describes it as a "recently modernised art-nouveau cinema/theatre transformed into a beautiful bookshop where you can order and drink, with air con, and relax a little bit with books around you".

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, As someone used to the heat, Giusto says "the best advice I can give is simply good common sense when visiting Venice in the summer"

Venetian tour guide Fiona Giusto, who runs Venice Tours, plans most of her routes around shaded stopping spots.

Like other tour guides, Giusto always urges tourists to stay hydrated, wear a hat and sunscreen.

To get some culture without the heat, she suggests heading to Venice's Teatro La Fenice - a historic opera house - and the Ca' Rezzonico art museum.

"The best advice I can give is good common sense," she adds.