Italy toughens up on tourists' bad behaviour
Source: Maxime Steckle on Unsplash
Florence tourists face fines of up to €500 if they are caught snacking on the pavement
Florence has fired a fresh salvo in its perpetual battle against the effects of mass tourism by banning visitors from eating panini, pizza and focaccia on the pavement and on shop doorsteps.
Tourists who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, which comes into effect today, face fines of between €150-€500 (£135-£450).
The ban applies to streets and piazzas around a particularly popular delicatessen in the city centre - All’ Antico Vinaio, the Old Wine Merchant – which is situated between the Uffizi Galleries and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s medieval town hall.
Described by one food and travel magazine as “home of the world’s best sandwiches”, it has enjoyed a surge in popularity after being favourably reviewed on TripAdvisor, where it is related “excellent” by 79 per cent of contributors.
Like many Italian cities, Florence suffers from a dearth of public benches, so tourists often resort to squatting on the kerb or crouching in the doorways of shops and restaurants while grabbing a bite to eat.
Local businesses have long complained of the nuisance and the issue came to a head in August after a scuffle between the owner of a leather goods shop and a Spanish family camped out on his front step.
Tourists who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, which comes into effect today, face fines of between €150-€500 (£135-£450).
The ban applies to streets and piazzas around a particularly popular delicatessen in the city centre - All’ Antico Vinaio, the Old Wine Merchant – which is situated between the Uffizi Galleries and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s medieval town hall.
Described by one food and travel magazine as “home of the world’s best sandwiches”, it has enjoyed a surge in popularity after being favourably reviewed on TripAdvisor, where it is related “excellent” by 79 per cent of contributors.
Like many Italian cities, Florence suffers from a dearth of public benches, so tourists often resort to squatting on the kerb or crouching in the doorways of shops and restaurants while grabbing a bite to eat.
Local businesses have long complained of the nuisance and the issue came to a head in August after a scuffle between the owner of a leather goods shop and a Spanish family camped out on his front step.
The new ordinance, signed by Dario Nardella, the mayor, will remain in force until January 6 and could be extended after that.
The aim is to maintain “decorum” outside the pizzeria in Via de’ Neri and surrounding streets, Florence city council said. The ban on eating in the street applies from noon-3pm and from 6pm-10pm.
“Violation of this regulation will be punished with fines of €150-€500,” the council said.
Shopkeepers will be encouraged to put up signs, in Italian and English, explaining the new bylaw.
“It’s not a punitive measure but a deterrent,” said Mr Nardella. “If tourists behave in Florence as they would at home then they will always be welcome, especially if they want to try our gastronomic specialities.”
The owner of the Antico Vinaio said he supported the new regulation but called for more public benches to be provided for tourists.
“We’ll distribute maps to our customers to show them where they can go and eat without risking a fine,” Tommaso Mazzanti told La Repubblica newspaper.
The number of tourists visiting Florence is sharply on the increase, from eight million in 2012 to more than 10 million last year.
Cheap flights, a boom in Airbnb rentals and burgeoning new markets such as China, India and Latin America have fueled the rise.
Political unrest and fears of terrorism in traditional hotspots such as Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt has also boosted the number of people flocking to Italy, with Florence, Rome and Venice the most popular destinations.
Last summer Mr Nardella ordered council workers to hose down the steps of churches in the historic city centre to dissuade people from eating and drinking on them.
Sceptics pointed out, however, that in high summer the water quickly evaporated and the steps were dry again after a short time.
Clampdown on tourists | Things you can get fined for in Italy
Taking sea shells from a beach in Sardinia: £450-£2,700
Sitting, climbing or picnicking on historical fountains in Rome: up to £216
Buying counterfeit goods from street traders: £2,250-£13,500
Swimming in prohibited areas in Lake Como - £22.50-£450
Wearing a bikini in Venice: £180
Comments
If the Spanish government and the local Spanish government apply these rules and these fines, everyone would say that it was a gag low. This happens in Italy and it is normal. Wearing a bikini in Venice is punished with the fine of 180 pounds. I can´t imagine what would happen if this event happened in Spain.
It is said in this article that Florence suffers from a dearth of the public benches, but it is the same, because tourists can´t eat panini, pizza and focaccia on the pavement and on the shop doorsteps and I suppose that benches are on the pavement, no on the street. That is, you can´t eat on streets.
I like what Mr Nardella, the mayor, said: “it´s not a punitive measure but a deterrent”. I think that we have to observe the rules which are suitable to good behavior. We have to respect the rest in everywhere.
The Telegraph mentions “a scuffle between the owner of a leather goods shop and a Spanish family camped out on his front step”. ¡What coincidence!
See you.
In Madrid I run the risk of a €1,800 fine for feeding pigeons. Unbelievable!
Read: https://elpais.com/elpais/2011/10/18/inenglish/1318915248_850210.html
If the Spanish government and the local Spanish government applied these rules and these fines, everyone would say that it was a gag law. This happens in Italy and it is normal. Wearing a bikini in Venice is punished with a fine of 180 pounds. I can´t imagine what would happen if the same thing / this happened in Spain.
It is said in this article that Florence suffers from a dearth of public benches, but it is the same, because tourists can´t eat panini, pizza and focaccia on the pavement and on shop doorsteps and I suppose that benches are on the pavement, not on the street. That is / in other words, you can´t eat on streets.
I like what Mr Nardella, the mayor, said: “it´s not a punitive measure but a deterrent”. I think that we have to observe the rules which are to do with good behavior. We have to respect others everywhere.
The Telegraph mentions “a scuffle between the owner of a leather goods shop and a Spanish family camped out on his front step”. What a coincidence / a surprise!
* Face fines - Confront financial penalties
Ex: We faced fines of 500€ for drinking in the street
* Fired a fresh salvo – take a new action
Ex: The government fired a fresh salvo in the aim of ending with thieves.
* Doorstep – Step in front of an outside door
Ex: Don’t sit in the doorstep, it’s dirty.
* Town hall – a building belonging to a town, used for the transaction of the town’s business and often also as a place of public assembly
Ex: The party is in the town hall square.
* A surge – a big amount
Ex: A surge of people appeared in the horizont.
* Dearth – lack of something
Ex: There was dearth of food after the war.
* Benches – a long sit for several people
Ex: The park is full of benches to sit, we can rest there.
* Resort to – to turn to for help, often as a final option
Ex: Finaly, we resorted to asking the police.
* Squatting – to sit in a crouching position with the legs drawn up closely beneath or in front of the body
Ex: As there was no place to sit, we had to squate.
* Kerb – a line of stone or concrete forming an edge between a pavement and a roadway, so that the pavement is some 15 cm above the level of the road
Ex: This kerb is too tal, anyone could fall with it.
* Crouch – to stop low with the knees bent
Ex: As there was no place to sit, we had to crouch.
* Grabbing a bite to eat – to obtain and consume quickly some food
Ex: Before havind lunch, we grabbed a bite to eat.
* Nuisance – one that is unplesant, inconvinient or annoying
Ex: He was nuisance, we ended fighting.
* Scuffle – a rough, confused fight
Ex: Ther was a scuffle between the two teams supporters.
* Leather goods – skin of animals
Ex: We went to the leather goods local to buy a coach.
* By-law – a rule governing the internal affairs of a corporation, organization, etc
Ex: There is a new by-law that don’t allow us to do that.
* Deterrent – serving or tending to deter (stop)
Ex: After the robbery, there was a deterrent.
* Burgeon – to develop or grow quickly
Ex: Artificial Intelligence is burgeoning.
* Fueled – stimulate
Ex: your Word fueled me to take action.
* Unrest – disatisfaction, turbulence
Ex: I can feel the unrest of people in their faces.
* Boosted – increase
Ex: The number of followers of that youtuber boosted.
* Flocking to – to go in a flock to
Ex: My class and I flocked to the museum.
* Counterfeit – imitation
Ex: This jersey is a counterfate, not real.
Alejandro
I especially like - surge, resort to, grab a bite to eat, goods, scuffle, boost sth and deterrent.
* Face fines - Confront financial penalties
Ex: We faced fines of 500€ for drinking in the street.
* Fired a fresh salvo – take a new action
Ex: The government fired a fresh salvo with the aim of ending theft.
* Doorstep – Step in front of an outside door
Ex: Don’t sit on the doorstep, it’s dirty.
* Town hall – a building belonging to a town, used for the transaction of the town’s business and often also as a place of public assembly
Ex: The party is in the town hall square.
* A surge – a big amount
Ex: A surge of people appeared on the horizon.
* Dearth – lack of something
Ex: There was a dearth of food after the war.
* Bench – a long seat for several people
Ex: The park is full of benches to sit, we can rest there.
* Resort to – to turn to for help, often as a final option
Ex: Finally, we resorted to asking the police.
* Squatting – to sit in a crouching position with the legs drawn up closely beneath or in front of the body
Ex: As there was no place to sit, we had to squat.
* Kerb – a line of stone or concrete forming an edge between a pavement and a roadway, so that the pavement is some 15 cm above the level of the road (15cm? where did you get this definition from? haha)
Ex: This kerb is too high, anyone could fall off it.
* Crouch – to stop low with the knees bent
Ex: As there was no place to sit, we had to crouch.
* Grabbing a bite to eat – to obtain and consume quickly some food
Ex: Before having lunch, we grabbed a bite to eat.
* Nuisance – one that is unplesant, inconvinient or annoying
Ex: He was a nuisance, we ended up fighting.
* Scuffle – a rough, confused fight
Ex: There was a scuffle between the two teams supporters.
* Leather goods – skin of animals
Ex: We went to the leather goods store to buy a couch.
* By-law – a rule governing the internal affairs of a corporation, organisation, etc
Ex: There is a new by-law that doesn’t allow us to do that.
* Deterrent – serving or tending to deter (stop)
Ex: Crime levels are very high. There should be more deterrents.
* Burgeon – to develop or grow quickly
Ex: Artificial Intelligence is burgeoning.
* Fuelled – stimulate
Ex: your Word fuelled me to take action.
* Unrest – dissatisfaction + turbulence
Ex: There was a great deal of unrest in the country during the recession.
* Boosted + object – increase
Ex: The YouTuber's video boosted his number of followers.
* Flocking to – to go in a flock to
Ex: My class and I flocked to the museum. (flock to is for hordes of people)
* Counterfeit – imitation
Ex: This jersey is counterfeit.