An Italian fishing village on Lake Como has introduced a fine for anyone found wandering its streets bare-chested or in swimwear.
Anyone flouting the village’s new dress code will now face a penalty of up to 200 euros ($228) under the latest measure aimed at limiting the impact of mass tourism in Italy.
Visitors to Varenna, which hugs the eastern bank of the scenic lake in northern Italy, have been warned that the only places where they are allowed to be in swimwear or go bare-chested are the village’s beaches, piers and boat docks.
Introduced last month, the new rules also aim to restrict the size of tourist groups visiting the village. Groups cannot exceed 25 people — or face a penalty — and tour leaders are forbidden from using loudspeakers or any other device to amplify their voices. Anyone flouting those rules could be fined up to 400 euros ($456).
Groups have also been instructed not to congregate, with a long list of particular streets and “historic alleyways” being identified.
