Time in Italy is fluid. It’s entirely acceptable to arrive half an hour late to an appointment and even an afternoon caffé with a friend can turn into a lengthy affair if you get it a tavola (at a table). Italians live completely in the present, with little worry as to the demands of the immediate future. By simply walking the streets of Rome though, you would never know that time was so culturally inconsequential.
Take a stroll down Viale Nazionale, Viale di Trastevere or Via Veneto and you’ll find a clock on nearly every lamppost and probably a few ornately nestled into the architecture of the occasional building. 
If you didn’t know better, you would think Romans were especially concerned with the time. Quite to the contrary though, if you look closely at these clocks you’ll see that they rarely display the same time, and even more rarely is it the correct time.
Perhaps all of these clocks were installed with the intent of inspiring people to be more punctual. A more probable theory…
..they’re there for decoration.
Photo 1: Location: St. Peter’s Basilica. Time Shown: 8:10. Time Taken: 9:15
Photo 2: Location: Via Veneto. Time Shown: 7:23. Time Taken: 5:14
Photo 3: Location: Viale di Trastevere. Time Shown: 4:40. Time Taken: 12:05
-Contributed by Emily Williams. Many thanks!
February 11th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Finally ,after many years of marriage spent waiting for my wife –in cars ,in supermarkets ,on street corners ,in cafes -I now know why —she’s not Irish ,she’s Italian !!!
February 11th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
One of the many reasons I love Rome. Savoring the moment is so much more important than being punctual or sticking to a time frame.
February 11th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Darling, and oh, so true! For us, it’s one of the many charms!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
In my library at home I have a big clock on top of a bookshelf. I have it set to Italy time (i.e. 6 hrs ahead of EST). I always wondered why it never seemed to keep correct time, now I know!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Another theory:
These clocks all display the wrong time to given the Italian late comer the excuse “The clock showed the wrong time”.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
One of my earliest observations during my first trip to Italy was there was no such thing as time, being on time, etc. It was wonderful to truly not be caught up in the stress of timeliness just the glories of ‘taking my sweet time’!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
This Note definitely going in the Top Ten category!! Love the backup photos………
February 11th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Love it – this is so true!
February 11th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
How funny. In all my time in Rome, I really never noticed a clock on the streets and certainly not any like that on Via Veneto. I wonder what else escaped me! Thanks. I will be more attentive on my next visit.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Perhaps, Time, like traffic signals, are merely a suggestion !
February 11th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Paul, Beth, and Stef, your comments are hilarious!
February 11th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Sono in d’accordo! Especially about being half hour late – it seemed like nothing we ever attended started at the time advertised! Living there made us less aware of time, a very good thing. The funniest thing we noticed however was that shopkeepers never failed to notice when it was 1:00pm – time for “riposo” and the stores closed exactly on time!
February 11th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Love the notation of “time on clock vs. time take” I had never noticed that during our two years in Italy.
February 11th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
The years that I Lived in Rome while attending College,were as unforgettable as the city .Great memories that are continually present and bring tears of joy !
February 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Beth!!! I too have an “Italian clock,” mine is next to the California clock in the kitchen, I look at it often during the day, each time thinking about family and daily events in Italy…At the moment it’s six PM California time and three AM “Old Country” time, just one glance told me that. In Italy clocks are like traffic lights and signs, just a a suggestion!
February 12th, 2010 at 10:34 am
… like traffic lights and signs …
and LAWS for that matter!
February 12th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Wonderful note! And it really does capture that quality of Italian life that we all love so much. Thanks Emily!