In the old days, my Italian mother-in-law kept everything closed up tight, even on unbearably hot days and nights. The tradition continues. Our neighbors who are young enough to be our children just admitted that during the heat wave in July they slept with the windows shut!! They opened them one night for a tiny while and awoke the next morning with mal di gola. How can this be? I'm the opposite: fond of uncurtained, open windows--screens, yes, but all the other stuff gets me down. I hate dark rooms. I even hate curtains. Give me air and light. Italians seem allergic. An ancient tradition, related I suppose to the belief that evil spirits travel on the night air. And yet in winter so much freezing cold penetrates the cracks and crevices here.

I would love to know the answer to this one and also the answer to why there are no screens. Is there a reason?

People are just too cheap to buy screens. They sell them at the fai da te.

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Originally posted by Chrisalor2:
Our neighbors who are young enough to be our children just admitted that during the heat wave in July they slept with the windows shut!! They opened them one night for a tiny while and awoke the next morning with mal di gola. How can this be?

Plain gobbledygook. Or they ad the AC on all night long.
During hot days, my mom keeps the windows closed to not let the heat come in, but open everything after the sunset.

Beside, where I was studying I lived on the first floor and therefore if I opened the windows I was afraid of burglar, if I let them closed it was so hot I couldn't sleep anyway. So I left them open.

My aunt lived 200 m away from my place and on the last floor. She kept everything close because she was afraid the burglars might come down from the roof. Ahahah!

I left everything open even when I went to the coffee shop to have breakfast.

They have no air conditioning. We live in the country in a very safe place. They are afraid of fresh air, I swear to you.

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Originally posted by Chrisalor2:
They have no air conditioning. We live in the country in a very safe place. They are afraid of fresh air, I swear to you.

We have talked about this before. It's a strange idea that is common but not all share. I've seen people in their 40's come in the house then ask to have the window closed because because the was a little air coming in. I don't get but there is no changing their minds.

Screens, one big reason they don't have them is just the traditional type of windows - windows open into the house, and one must reach outside to close the shutters. Screens would be in the way. Otherwise I don't get that either. Maybe it's just that with a fixed screen one could not lean out the window to say hi to a passerby.

That is so weird. I guess it's possible they are expensive, they probably are if no one is using them because they're not manufacturing many.

What kills me is how often everyone complains about all the flies inside... Yesterday I had my windows open and some little black bug came in and bit me twice. So easily avoidable. When I get my own place I am getting screens ASAP!

I've definitely seen this attitude here. Even on boiling hot days, if you get any kind of breeze on your neck you'll get cervicale. IMO it's completely insane, however I've learnt not to roll my eyes when people say stuff like this. They really believe it - especially for children (poor little things all rugged up on 20 degree days and sweating under their scarves!)

Oh, then you are talking about the fear of "corrente d'aria". My mom has it, too. Thanks God we don't live in a windy zone otherwise my house would be e bunker.

The best is when people would rather be closed in a room full of smokers than chance opening the window and getting a 'colpo d'aria.' I guess lung cancer is better!
Michelle

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Screens, one big reason they don't have them is just the traditional type of windows - windows open into the house, and one must reach outside to close the shutters. Screens would be in the way.

They sell screens that roll up like window shades at any fai da te place. Their not very expensive. I think people just prefer to let in the mosquitos- gives them something to complain about.

But, Bill, what do those screens you've seen at the fai-da-te places look like? Are they aesthetically pleasing? Most Italians are pretty maniacal about their homes and would not just slap up any old screen. They'd probably want to have them made su misura, and that could get expensive. That's the problem I have with my husband - the screens we saw around were very cheap and unprofessional looking and he hated them. Anyway, we have three sets of French doors so roll-up screens would not do the trick. We'd need screen doors, and I've never seen those around.
Michelle

I think they look pretty good. The metal bits are ottone-colored anodized aluminum. Other colors may be available- don't know.

You cut them to measure before installation. Requires ability to operate hacksaw.

I have them on both our french doors (upstairs and downstairs). If I want to leave the doors open for air, I pull down the screen (it latches at the bottom) and enjoy the breeze.

We have a friend who lives south of Milan in the rice growing area, tons of mosquitos. He has the roll up screens on most of his windows. Seems they work fine though I think they may get a little hard to move after a few years, a little silicone spray would probably fix that problem.

We've had ours since 1998- still roll up like new, and the screen cloth has no tears or holes. I've been very satisfied with them.

I'd rather have any kind of screens up than various kinds of insects flying around. I have a particular paranoia about a big black flying beetle which came in a few times before we got a screen up.

A few years ago we went to Tuscany for 2 weeks and there were no screens up at the windows. It was ridiculous the amount of wildlife coming in. We even had a cricket come in through the window. It was hot and no air con either so we had little choice but to open the windows a bit.

yes I have seen the screens for french doors..
they are called pocket screens.. they roll out from side to side.. but bewared! folks have been know to walk right thru them... aaauughg!
so hang a big beautiful flower on screen...

quote:

Originally posted by Chrisalor2:
They have no air conditioning. We live in the country in a very safe place.

Actually, while countryside areas are usually even saver in terms of personal security, that's where the bulk of burglaries occur, both because houses in those areas are mostly isolated (small 1-2 floors villette or similar) and because people there seem much more cafree about security.
In Milano we have comparatively little burglaries: buildings are taller and very few apartments are on the ground floor, they are closer to each other and therefore it's easier to notice unusual sounds or movements, and finally because here we do really have safer doors and most apartments on the ground floor have removable "cages" at the windows that allow windows to be open while a strong and safe (and locked with keys) gill of metal stands between the outside and the inside. As a result, very few burglaries occur.
in smaller places, people often live in very low buildings, have older windows and unsafe doors, windows and locks, and often rely on decayed shutters and easily breakable thin metal bolts screwed on the inside to keep out the burglars. The outcome is that while in a city like Milano burglareies are uncommon events, in smaller places they are an almost yearly event.

When I had to move to Pistoia (small place, see above) I adamntly refused to move in the house if I didn't have removable metal bars on the lower floor windows, safety doors on the front and back entrances and mosquito screens on all windows. My ex and his family were just as adamant in refusing because, although in the 6 years my ex and I had been in a relation they were burglarized 3 times, those simple safety measures would have made them feel "locked in". At the same time I (never burglarized in my whole life, neither my grannies were) was totally scared of being in that apartment alone, and I am not prone to excessive unsafety feelings, at times bordering on reckless.

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apartments on the ground floor have removable "cages" at the windows that allow windows to be open while a strong and safe (and locked with keys) gill of metal stands between the outside and the inside

I think I saw something like this when touring a jail once. They have very few burglaries there too.

So Alice what you are saying is that.. there are more burglaries in the country where there are less people.. and that these home in the country seem to all have no screens or locks. and that folks who live there seem to not be concerned of the possibilities of breakins??

Give Alice a break! She is saying that it is a lot easier to break into a country home as all you have to do is walk up to a window and climb in.

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Originally posted by Gil:
Give Alice a break! She is saying that it is a lot easier to break into a country home as all you have to do is walk up to a window and climb in.

Oh. I thought she said:

quote:

Actually, while countryside areas are usually even saver in terms of personal security, that's where the bulk of burglaries occur, both because houses in those areas are mostly isolated (small 1-2 floors villette or similar) and because people there seem much more cafree about security.
In Milano we have comparatively little burglaries

Who knew there were fewer burglaries in urban areas like Milano than in rural areas?

Maybe, she is stating more burglaries per 100 homes in country than in Milan?

Who knows?