Is August a bad time to visit Italy?

It's the hardest month, and if you have any choice at all, choose another one. Cities like Rome and Florence sit in the mid-90s°F with stone radiating heat until midnight, and the coast and islands fill with Italians on their own holidays, so beach towns are at their most expensive and most crowded exactly when cities are at their emptiest. Many family-run restaurants and shops close for two or three weeks around mid-month. August is workable if you go north — the lakes and the Dolomites are lovely — or if you accept a schedule built around a long midday break.