Italians apparently prefer an old fashioned fan to modern air conditioning systems to help them survive the summer heat and cool their homes. This is according to a survey, carried out by www.staibene.it, the Italian health and well-being portal created in partnership with the National Research Council (CNR), to look into the Italians’ relationship with the heat. The survey revealed that the ideal temperature is between 24 and 26 degrees centigrade, the most thirst-quenching drink is a glass of cold milk, the most effective sunglasses are those with brown or grey-green tinted lenses and the most popular summer dish is melon and cured ham. The thousand or so answers to the question "How are you surviving the city heat?" revealed a far from technologically-advanced people when it comes to addressing the high summer temperatures. Fifty percent believe that the fan is “more healthy than air conditioning for keeping the house cool” even though 29% still opt for air conditioning, while 19% choose a fan, as long as it is well positioned. As for the ideal temperature, Italians do not like their homes too cold. The vast majority prefer an ambient temperature of between 24 and 26 degrees centigrade. On a positive note though, for 15% of respondents, the ideal in-house temperature depends on how hot it is outside, according to the portal.