Mr Prodi defended the decree, saying it was "necessary but also just", in an open letter to Italy's Il Messaggero daily.

BBC: RELATED BBC SITES

But thanks to the economic crisis, the number of Romans leaving for ferragosto has diminished, with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reporting that only one in three Romans will leave for a week or more this year, down 10% from last summer.

BBC: Where to eat when Rome shuts down