When are shops and public sights open?
In general, stores open around 9, close for lunch around 1, then re-open around 4. Many shops then close for the day around 8 in the evening. The afternoon closures can be frustrating, but it’s best to take the opportunity to rest or to enjoy a long lunch. Interestingly, many internet points remain open throughout the afternoon, perhaps because so many of these are operated by Arabs or Indians who prefer their own schedules to “Italian” ones. In the main shopping areas, such as Via Libertà and the streets around it, most stores are closed Monday mornings and (except during the Christmas season) usually closed on Sundays as well. Some larger supermarkets are open all day (from 9 AM until 8 PM), but this is still the exception rather than the rule. The week of 15 August (Ferragosto) finds many shops and other businesses (even some restaurants) closed for 7 to 10 days.
