The month of luglio (July) is named after the Roman consul Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar), who was born on the 12th of July 100 B.C.

Sopra: Giulio Cesare

Unbelievably there aren’t any national holidays or festivals in luglio here in Italy (cosa?!) However, quite a few famous Italians were born in July. Here is a selection:

Francesco Petrarca, poet and writer, born in Arezzo on the 20th of July 1304

Giuseppe Garibaldi, patriot and general, born in Nizza (Nice) on the 4th of July 1807

Amedeo Modigliani, artist, born in Livorno on the 12th of July 1884

Giorgio de Chirico, artist, born in  Volos (Greece) on the 10th of July 1888

Vittorio De Sica, actor and director, born in Sora on the 7th of July 1901

Gina Lollobrigida, actress, born in Subiaco on the 4th of July 1927

Detti di luglio (July Sayings):

Seminalo a luglio, se vuoi un buon rapuglio (Sow it in July, if you want a good ‘rapuglio’). This is a popular proverb, but nobody seems to know the meaning of ‘rapuglio’. It isn’t even listed in my Vocabolario della Lingua Italiana Treccani. I ‘think’ that it means ‘raccolto di rape’, i.e. ‘turnip harvest’, however, if anyone out there has another translation please let me know.

Luglio giostra l’uva, i fichi e la fortuna nostra (July manages the grapes, the figs and our fortune)

Di luglio il temporale dura poco e non fa male (July’s thunderstorm is short-lived and doesn’t do any harm)

Pioggerella estiva: passa come arriva (Summer drizzle: it passes as it arrives)

Nuvole di luglio fan presto tafferuglio (July’s clouds quickly create a scuffle)

Luglio con il sacco e lo staio, porta chicchi nel granaio (July with the sack and the bushel, brings grain to the granary)

Per Santa Maddalena si taglia l’avena (For Saint Magdalena’s day –22nd of July-  the oats are harvested)

Sole in Leone: poni la moglie in un cantone (The Sun in Leo –23 July- put your wife in a corner)

Per Santa Cristina, la semina della saggina (For Saint Christina’s day –24th of July-, the sowing of the sorghum)

Se piove per S.Anna, l’acqua diventa manna (If it rains for Saint Anna’s day –26th of July-, the water turns into manna)

Se grandina per S.Anna, l’uva mia tutta si danna (If it hails for Saint Anna’s day, all my grapes get damaged)