Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG. It's sweltering.

Rome is the same latitude as Portland, Maine.

DP, there’s a heat dome over Europe right now. We were in Rome a few days ago and it was 95° at the Colosseum.

We’ve been in Italy for 2 weeks and have never been somewhere without AC.

Lived in Italy for years. Also grew up in Florida before central air was in many homes.

There is a simple, economical solution to cool rooms in Italy but sadly it will never be used by Italians due to their "bad air" beliefs.

The solution is ceiling fans. They are cheap. They can easily be installed in concrete ceilings using surface electrical line ducts. They use very little electricity. They can be set so low you barely feel the breeze. They do a great job of circulating FRESH air in and helping prevent mildew.

But unless and until Italians get over this belief that circulating or cool air is the cause of illnesses, they will continue to swelter. Not good in a world where the temps are rising every year.

IMO, they are at more risk from mold/mildew induced illnesses than they would be if they aired/dried their homes out and got rid of the humidity.

With all the styles of ceiling fans available, including those with lights, you think more Italians might jump on the aesthetic and become "fashionable" for having ceiling fans.

I hate to tell you, but the worst time of year to go to Europe is summertime. No A/C, crowds, no deals to be had.

Spring and Autumn only

Anonymous wrote:Go to Italy in spring or fall. Summer is for suckers.

I wish I could. Everything thinks teachers have it made because they have summers off but it’s the only time I can travel and it’s $$$$ too. I will be taking a few sick days to overseas next spring break though. Use them or lose them.

Anonymous wrote:Thankfully mini-split systems seem to be popping up everywhere. Yes, not as good as central air, but way easier to retro-fit.

Counter-point- our mini-splits are cheaper than central air and quieter. And we can change temps easily between rooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Italians believe it is bad for your health - you will get "colpo d'aria" an illness they very much believe in and take very seriously. When I lived there, we used a lot of fans and kept the Roman shades almost always completely shut, just cracked enough to let air through. It's the only way to survive.

Indeed - Italians and their “colpo d’aria”. I’ve never seen anyone take something so seriously as the Italians I worked with. They literally believe air makes you sick and also gives you a stiff neck. There is no reasoning with them on the topic. Also they believe if you go out with wet hair bad things will happen.

Can you please not speak for all Italians/be racist AF? This is BS and my family in Sicily would agree.

I thought they were specifically referring to the Italian they worked with?