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Ferragosto is an Italian and Sammarinese public holiday celebrated on 15 August, coinciding with the major Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary. By metonymy, it is also the summer vacation period around mid-August, which may be a long weekend (''ponte di ferragosto'') or most of August.〔Jonathan Boardman, ''Rome: A Cultural and Literary Companion'', p. 219〕 == History == The ''Feriae Augusti'' ("Festivals () of the Emperor Augustus") were introduced by the emperor Augustus in 18 BC. This was an addition to earlier ancient Roman festivals which fell in the same month, such as the ''Vinalia rustica'' or the ''Consualia'', which celebrated the harvest and the end of a long period of intense agricultural labor. The Feriae Augusti, in addition to its propaganda function, linked the various August festivals to provide a longer period of rest, called ''Augustali'', which was felt necessary after the hard labour of the previous weeks. During these celebrations, horse races were organised across the Empire, and beasts of burden (including oxen, donkeys and mules), were released from their work duties and decorated with flowers. Such ancient traditions are still alive today, virtually unchanged in their form and level of participation during the Palio dell'Assunta which takes place on 16 August in Siena. Indeed, the name "Palio" comes from the ''pallium'', a piece of precious fabric which was the usual prize given to winners of the horse races in ancient Rome.〔Lodovico Antonio Muratori, ''Dissertazioni sopra le antichità italiane'', Barbiellini, Roma, 1755, tomo II, pag. 32〕 During the festival, workers greeted their masters, who in return would give them a tip. The custom became so strongly rooted that in the Renaissance it was made compulsory in the Papal States.〔Gaetano Moroni, ''Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica'', Tipografia Emiliana, Venezia, 1843, volume XXIII, pag. 155〕 The modern Italian name of the holiday comes directly from the Latin name. According to Richard Overy, author of "A History of War in 100 Battles", the Ferragosto Holiday was introduced by Gaius Octavius 'Augustus' after his victory over Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium on the 2nd of September 31 bce 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ferragosto」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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