These Surprising Things Can Get You Fined In Italy

On the island of Capri, wearing loud shoes could get you fined. The rule dates back to the 1960s when wooden clogs were a fad, and the local government implemented a fine after growing weary of the clacking on the island’s narrow alleys and passageways. Some travelers have reported the law isn’t strictly enforced these days, but it’s still a good excuse to stop at one of the local vendors to buy a custom measured-and-made-in-minutes pair of soft calf leather sandals. If you do run afoul of the fine, it’s reported to be €50. 

There are other places in Italy where the wrong footwear will cost you. Italy’s Cinque Terre region will issue fines of up to €2,500 for attempting to hike the famed seaside cliff trails in insufficient footwear that could be dangerous to the wearer and other hikers. Closed, waterproof shoes that cover the ankle and have an anti-slip sole are required, and Italian officials have been stepping up enforcement since 2025. 

In the country’s major cities like Venice, Rome, and Florence, pigeons are known to flock to the piazzas and monuments to roost. They make for some dramatic, made-for-cinema establishing shots when they all take flight at once, but don’t try to feed them. In an effort to preserve public hygiene (and ostensibly to lower the cost of constantly cleaning bird excrement off the faces of the antiquities), officials have imposed a €500 fine on anyone caught feeding pigeons or other birds. 

Outside the cities, in popular beach regions like Sorrento, Tuscany, Veneto, and Campania, local officials have made it clear they want the beach to stay on the beach. Visitors enjoying the beaches and pools should take a cover-up to supplement their swimwear before stepping away from the water and into the town centers. Bearing in mind the communities themselves are not one big contiguous resort, it makes sense to don a complete outfit of appropriate “away-from-the-water” attire to show respect for the community. Failure to do so could land you with a fine of up to €500. 

The city of Venice, in particular, has been looking for ways to crack down on over-tourism and bad tourist behavior. It’s gotten so dire, in fact, that Venice has been in danger of being added to UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger List. In recent years, Venice has implemented a fee for day-tripping visitors not staying overnight in the city, banned large cruise ships from docking in the Grand Canal, and begun discussing other ways to reduce the constant stream of visitors into the city’s top attractions. One particular pain point is spending. City officials have complained that visitors often spend little or no money in the city, sometimes bringing their own food or buying a gelato from a street vendor to eat while sitting at the monuments. 

Now, there’s a fine for that. It’s against the law to eat or drink while seated on monuments, steps, bridges, or raised walkways, and failure to comply could land hungry visitors with a hefty fine of €200.