Italian tourist town imposes fines for bare chests
By Jack Guy, CNN
The mayor of an Italian tourist town has moved to impose fines on under-dressed people citing concerns over “quality of life.”
Massimo Coppola, mayor of Sorrento, announced fines ranging from 25 to 500 euros in a Facebook post published July 6.
“No more with the indecent behaviour,” wrote Coppola. “That’s why I signed the ordinance that prohibits people from walking around with a bare chest as well as in swimming suits.”
Visitors flock to the town, which is located south of Naples on Italy’s western coast, but Coppola has had enough of the amount of skin displayed by some.
“These types of behaviors can be considered as a cause for unease and discomfort for both Sorrento residents and tourists,” he wrote.
“In this way we want to protect and improve the worthiness of living, quality of life and the decor inside the city center and public spaces,” added the mayor.
Sorrento sits on the Sorrentine Peninsula, which is also home to the Amalfi Coast, a stretch of dramatic south-facing coastline.
The gems of bougainvillea-clad Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, with vistas plunging into the deep blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea, earned the area UNESCO protection in 1997.
Such is the popularity of the peninsula among vacationers that local authorities brought in new rules to cut tourist traffic along the coast, which has become a road trip destination.
From June 15 an alternate numberplate system means that cars can only access the famous 22-mile stretch between Vietri sul Mare and Positano every other day, during peak hours in peak season.
Only vehicles with number plates ending in an odd number can use the road on odd-numbered dates, while those with plates ending in an even number can drive it on even-numbered dates.
These rules apply between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for the entire month of August, plus weekends from June 15 to September 30. Holy Week around Easter, and the dates from April 24 to May 2, are also included.
Top image credit: Valerina D’antuono/EyeEm/Getty Images
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CNN’s Benjamin Brown contributed to this story
