Italy: Village imposes fine of up to 200€ to tourists in trunk naked or bikini

A Italian village of Varenna, east of Lake Como, will apply fines between 50 and 200 euros to those who circulate in trunk naked or bikini, in the face of the growing number of tourists who run to the fishing village.

This measure incorporates a set of new rules aimed at preserving the appearance of the locality and the tranquility of some 650 permanent inhabitants. Thus, walking in a bare trunk or in a bathing suit will only be allowed on the beaches or on the boat trips on Lake Como, according to The Guardian.

The tour groups were also limited to a maximum of 25 people and cannot obstruct the narrow streets, and the guides were forbidden to use speakers.

“Varenna is a wonderful village and we are proud to receive hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. However, the quality of life of our residents cannot be sacrificed in the name of mass tourism”, said the mayor of Varenna, Mauro Manzoni, quoted by the same medium.

The rules, which have been in force for a few days, seem to be being accepted by residents, particularly as regards the dress code.

“On the beach, you can do whatever you want, but when you walk around the village and enter shops, restaurants, churches or the square, you have to dress decently,” he said. “The important thing is to ensure that it is fulfilled,” he added.

It should be noted that several other Italian towns and cities imposed similar measures to try to control mass tourism. In fact, in 2022, the then mayor of Sorrento argued that circulating in a bathing suit and in a bare trunk was a “generally unseemly behavior” that was staining the image of the city, which is why he imposed heavy fines.

Already in the coastal city of Portofino, in Liguria, selfies were banned and some areas were designated as “stay ban zones”, to deter tourists from staying too long in the same place in 2023.