Anonymous
Post 06/27/2025 06:56     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
I lived in a popular Italian city in the Veneto Regione for over 7 years. No A/c. We stayed cool by letting cool air into the house overnight and into the morning, but would close up the windows and shutters when the sun starts to come through. Fans help.
Anonymous
Post 06/27/2025 05:20     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


So. It's slightly more complicated than that.

The North of Italy is one of most economically successful regions of Europe, and has industries that are extremely well run.
The South of Italy is a corrupt mafia preserve that even with its roaring tourism industry, is way behind in terms of infrastructure and services.
The North helps the South survive. It's a HUGE point of regional contention, because who wants their clean, hard-working North Italian euros going towards barely legal or extralegal organizations in the South?

This is Italy's problem.


whatever- such nonsense- Liguria is in the north and its a crapshoot and over priced and just awful compared to Sicily (which has eu funded roads/infratsructure which is MUCH better run ) the above is only really true in the formerly Austrian/German speaking part of Italy. the infrastructure is amazing (the municipal pools in the dolomites are a joy) but all the people there speak Italian with difficulty and say their mother tongue is German. so I guess yes, the former Austrian parts of northern Italy pay for everyone else but the northern Italian Italian parts are corrupt as hell as well and the infrastructire is awful - ugh when you walk into the main square in Milan its like walking into hell, can they not plant some trees and have shade= like in Palermo ??? try managing these "hardworking northern Italians" the only worse workers are the French.


Anonymous
Post 06/27/2025 05:04     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My parents in Paris don't know anyone who has central A/C in their home or apartment.

You didn't know that Europe hasn't retrofitted A/C in its old buildings, and still builds new without A/C?

It's slowly changing, but not fast enough for our rate of global warming.



Not central AC, no, because the buildings are too old/ solid for ductwork. But I find it's very common to have mini split style units, especially in bedrooms.


This is what we had when we lived in Europe (split units). I actually like these and wish we used them more in the US- easier to control the temperature of rooms indivisually.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 23:44     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:Italy is one of the PIGS countries in Europe. These countries are poorer and more corrupt.

It also has the 8th highest gdp in the world. So it’s not that poor.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 22:56     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


Absolutely it is. Dumpiest country I’ve seen in the EU, and I’ve been to all of them. And that’s mainly due to the horrid corruption. The people there will steal anything, including entire hospital budgets, and don’t care at all for their fellow citizens. It’s disgustingly poor and corrupt.


Right, because there's no corruption in the US
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 21:58     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:everything is too old


This
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:58     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Yeah, Southern Europe and Northern Europe are not the same thing. And half of Italy is in Southern Europe. A world away from Milan.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:41     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Italy is one of the PIGS countries in Europe. These countries are poorer and more corrupt.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:40     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Even in buildings that it does exist many times there are laws regulating when it can be turned on.

Many business owners don’t want to turn it on due to the extremely high cost of utilities in Italy.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:40     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


So. It's slightly more complicated than that.

The North of Italy is one of most economically successful regions of Europe, and has industries that are extremely well run.
The South of Italy is a corrupt mafia preserve that even with its roaring tourism industry, is way behind in terms of infrastructure and services.
The North helps the South survive. It's a HUGE point of regional contention, because who wants their clean, hard-working North Italian euros going towards barely legal or extralegal organizations in the South?

This is Italy's problem.



Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:35     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


Absolutely it is. Dumpiest country I’ve seen in the EU, and I’ve been to all of them. And that’s mainly due to the horrid corruption. The people there will steal anything, including entire hospital budgets, and don’t care at all for their fellow citizens. It’s disgustingly poor and corrupt.


This. Every businessman wants to be paid in cash to avoid taxes.

There is a lot of corruption with contracts.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:34     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
You made all your travel plans, bought tickets and booked reservations, only to find this out NOW? This did not occur to you earlier, even though it's a well-known fact?

Europe has much older buildings than the US, my dear. Most cannot be retrofitted.

Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:32     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


Absolutely it is. Dumpiest country I’ve seen in the EU, and I’ve been to all of them. And that’s mainly due to the horrid corruption. The people there will steal anything, including entire hospital budgets, and don’t care at all for their fellow citizens. It’s disgustingly poor and corrupt.


I wish this wasn't true. Having dual U.S. and Italian citizenship, I find it embarrassing. I remember a train journey from Italy through Austria into Slovenia. Crossing from Italy into Austria it was like someone flipped a switch. Instantly clean, well maintained, no graffiti.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 18:11     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!


Absolutely it is. Dumpiest country I’ve seen in the EU, and I’ve been to all of them. And that’s mainly due to the horrid corruption. The people there will steal anything, including entire hospital budgets, and don’t care at all for their fellow citizens. It’s disgustingly poor and corrupt.
Anonymous
Post 06/26/2025 17:38     Subject: Why is there so little air conditioning in Italy
Anonymous wrote:Because it is a poor country. We take our air conditioning and otherluxuries for granted in the US..

Italy a poor country? It’s part of the G7, meaning the 7 biggest economies in the world!