Okay, normally when you are at your holiday accommodation in Umbria everything should work out well.
However sometimes it may happen that you try to switch on the light and….
…nothing happens.
At the latest when you have tried several other switches without success you realize that it´s not just one burnt out light bulb creating that problem.
So what has happened?
Easiest answer: For whatever reason the circuit breaker has gone off
Voltage in the Italian mains supply can vary strongly. A stronger fluctuation of current may cause the circuit breaker to go off. This may happen once in a while for no obvious reasons at all or during a thunderstorm when a lightning strikes the power supply line or strikes near the house.
In this case it is sufficient to switch the blue main security switch up in „on“ position.
If this doesn´t help, interrupt the other switches one after the other to find out in which of the circuits the short circuit is caused. It may be due to a wet hair dryer or some electrical device you have left out in the rain still plugged into a socket.
In this obvious case unplug whatever device causes the circuit (Switch of the main security switch before if it is not already „off“) and try again.
If none of this helps don´t try on your own but call the owner (good if he lives in the same house or nearby).
Sometimes it happens that the power provider switches off electricity during a heavy thunderstorm to avoid damage on the line or during regular maintainance work (In this last case you will find on trees and/or walls along the street little posters announcing this. As these are written only in Italian you are well advised to learn at least a little Italian:-)
In both of those cases you can only wait until electricity returns.
Italian Fuse box
Every holiday accommodation in Umbria normally has a plastic fuse box similar to the one on the photo. Usually it is fixed on the wall inside your holiday accommodation easily visible.
The main security switch mostly is the blue one on the left side in the photo, „Generale“ This is the one that shuts itself off in case of danger.
The other switches for the several circuits are usually black.
You have normally at least two of them (In an appartement with kitchen, bathroom and up to two sleeping rooms).
One for the light switches („Luce“ 10A) and small plugs for small electric devices that don´t consume much energy.
And one for the bigger plugs („Prese“ 16A, for example for the fridge or an electric hair dryer).
Additionally there can be other switches for the heating system labeled „Caldaia“ or „Riscaldamento“ or a water pump labeled „Pompa“.