4 dress codes you must adhere to in Italy

Good news for your eyes: Italy is getting more and more rules about going out dressed decently. You can still hang out in the lights in a miniskirt, and if you want to walk around the city in your swim trunks, no one will write you a ticket – as long as you wear a shirt on top. Because some things just go too far, and can even lead to you being sent away or fined. Four no-go’s regarding the dress code in Italy that could cost you dearly.

1. Entering the church uncovered
Since I went under in the church as a baby and I can eat hosts, I was always told that you should not enter the house of il Dio in your half-naked state. Even though vacation clothing was certainly worn, a scarf always went into the church to cover the shoulders. Officially, you should not only cover your shoulders but also your knees and belly. In busy churches, you will be pointed out and, if necessary, refused entry; in smaller churches, it is usually posted on a sign by the door – so you just do it yourself out of good manners.

2. Walking around without a shirt in Sorrento, Lipari, and Venice
In Sorrento, it was the mayor who was fed up with all the nudity in the city. Last year, he introduced a new rule that can result in a fine of up to five hundred euros if you walk around topless in the center. According to Massimo Coppola, the quality of life in the city improves, and no one has to feel uncomfortable. Sorrento followed in the footsteps of Lipari and Venice, where the rule has been in place longer and breaking it can cost you money. And even if you don’t get fined in other cities, it’s still just as polite to keep your shirt on when you’re not at the beach.

3. Wearing sandals during a hike in Cinque Terre
This has a somewhat different angle, as wearing sandals and flip-flops while hiking is simply life-threatening. As part of a warning campaign by the authorities in Cinque Terre, hefty fines for unsuitable climbing footwear were established. Rescue teams are getting exhausted from all the poorly prepared tourists who venture onto the hiking trails. I happened to be one of them last year, unplanned, and perhaps they can also include too much luggage in the list of violations., wellicht dat ze teveel bagage ook mee kunnen nemen in de lijst van overtredingen.

4. Walking barefoot in Praia a Mare
In Praia a Mare, there is also an anti-nudity dress code, but not only that. You are also not allowed to wander around barefoot. And I’m sorry to share this, but I have to get it off my chest: I saw a toenail fungus in flip-flops this afternoon, in public. I therefore advocate limiting the freedom of footwear wherever you are. Fortunately, it is already an unwritten rule among Italians not to wear flip-flops on public roads. Now it’s our turn.