Your shopping cart is empty.
Aug 02, 2020
Before January and February were invented, August was the sixth month of the year. It was even called mensis Sextilis, “sixth month.” This explains why the Latin roots of our later months beginning with September mean seven, eight, nine, and ten. August is too often neglected, as the month when school starts, a time to stay indoors and avoid the heat or, in the southern hemisphere, the winter. But August has always been important in Italy.
The early Roman calendar had only 304 days. After December winter had no months, because not much happened before March. Old images of Sextilis always included hot weather themes, but equally present were harvest images. It was the month when the hardest farm work of the summer wound down and people began to reap the benefits of their long farming season that started in March.
Sextilis proved a month of good fortune for the emperor Augustus whose accomplishments during the month included gaining the Roman legions, conquering Egypt, and ending civil wars. Even though Augustus’s birthday was in September, he had the senate proclaim mensis Sextilis to thereafter be mensis Augustus, and so it has been since the year 8 BC.
With any harvest comes festivals and Ancient Rome made the most of August. The second of two annual wine festivals, Vinalia Rustica, was already celebrated in August as was Consuales Ludi, celebrating the grain harvest. To these Augustus added his own Feriae Augusti where peasants were treated to gifts and time off by landowners. In the middle ages the church contributed the Assumption of Mary to the group. This heap of good natured revelry amid the lull of the baking summer is what has become Ferragosto, a sacrosanct two weeks off in the middle of August that is the source of many glowing memories for every Italian.
Superior Fine Art Prints on paper, metal, canvas and more
Archival certified printers, inks, and media
AUTHOR
|
This is only visible to you because you are logged in and are authorized to manage this website. This message is not visible to other website visitors.
This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!
This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!