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A travel expert is warning tourists about a little-known law in Florence’s historic city centre that could result in fines of up to €500 (£418) if broken.
Home to the striking Duomo cathedral and the Palazzo Pitti, whose gallery collection includes artwork from the likes of Botticelli, Raphael and Michaelangelo, Florence attracts around 15 million tourists a year – almost 20 times its population.
Yet the vast amount of visitors to this cultural hotspot can often make the city’s narrow streets congested, which eventually prompted authorities to implement rules and regulations in the Italian city to try and disperse the crowds.
However, one law is not always familiar to Florence’s visitors and could cost unaware tourists hundreds of pounds in fines if they are caught not following the rule.
“Walking around the city all day and exploring the many attractions is hungry work,” Jessica Bollinger, a travel expert at travel agency Kilroy, told the Daily Mirror.
“But unsuspecting tourists must be aware that there could be dire consequences for taking a break to pause on the streets for a pick-me-up snack.”
“There is a little-known law that bans anyone from stopping to eat on the pavements, in shop doors or outside houses in the busiest areas of the city during peak hours.”
The law was put in place in September 2018 as part of an effort to stop overcrowding around the Unesco-listed historic city centre, as tourists tend to cram around food outlets, making access down streets more difficult.
There are four streets – Via de’ Neri, Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano and Via della Ninna – that are affected by the law, with restrictions running between peak eating times. Anyone who is caught eating food outdoors could face a fine of up to €500.
The initiative was also enacted partly to reduce litter and foster a better culture of tourists respecting residents, traders, and workers down the streets.
The city’s mayor, Dario Nardella, described the measure at the time as “not punitive, but a deterrent".
"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.
“Quality tourism is a resource to be valued. Sometimes, however, we encounter tourists who lack manners towards our city, even through small gestures. And this is not good at all,” the mayor added, explaining why he signed the new ordinance against eating in the streets.
Florence is not the only popular tourist city in Italy that has taken measures against tourists eating in public, as Rome introduced new regulations in 2017 over people eating near 40 of their historical fountains, including the famous 18th-century Trevi Fountain.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
