L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I taly is known for many wonderful things: art, architecture, opera, hand gestures, and an enviable approach to c o f f e e . B u t t u c k e d a m o n g these cultural icons, there is something just as incredible: its delightfully peculiar laws. Some are old, some still enforced, and some are just baffling enough to raise an eyebrow and bring a smile. Whether aimed at preserv- ing order or simply the peace of mind of locals, these rules tell us something about Ital- ian society: it takes tradition s e r i o u s l y , b u t n o t a l w a y s itself. To begin our journey into the legal oddities of the Bel Paese, we have to go back. All the way back to the third cen- tury BC. In the Roman town of Spoletium (modern-day Spoleto), a law was passed known as the Lex Luci Spo- l e t i n a w h i c h , s t r a n g e l y enough for the time, wasn't concerned with taxes nor war. Instead, it protected a sacred grove dedicated to Jupiter: cutting wood or removing timber from the grove was strictly forbidden, unless it was during a religious festival and, even then, offenders had to offer a public sacrifice if they took more than their spiritual share. Think of it as an early, pious version of for- est management meets divine accountability. A few millennia later, the tone lightened, but Italy's pas- sion for regulating daily life didn't fade. Take the country's f a m o u s ( a n d o c c a s i o n a l l y notorious) blasphemy laws. Enforced across the nation for much of the 20th century, these laws punished public insults against the divine. They were officially decrimi- nalized in 1999, but some towns – such as Saonara, near Padua – reinstated local fines for blasphemy as recently as 2019. The move was justified as a gesture of civic decency, t h o u g h m a n y s a w i t a s a reminder that, in Italy, even freedom of expression must occasionally take off its hat before entering a church. Fast forward to the present day, and Italy's legislative cre- ativity is alive and well, espe- cially when it comes to pro- tecting quality of life, beauty, a n d s i l e n c e . I n t h e p i c - turesque beach town of Era- c l e a , n e a r V e n i c e , l o c a l authorities decided that sand- castles could be a public nui- sance. Yes, sandcastles. The logic? They obstruct beach pathways and can even be hazardous. So, if you are in Eraclea and you're thinking of sculpting a mini-Colosseum by the sea, make sure you flatten it before the beach patrol walks by. B u t t h e r e a l c h a r m o f Italy's legal oddities often lies in the hyper-local rules that make perfect sense to resi- dents ... and absolutely none to tourists. In Capri , the g l a m o r o u s i s l a n d r e t r e a t famous for its cliffside villas and lemon groves, there's a rule banning noisy footwear. Specifically, the law prohibits clogs and other shoes that clatter on the pavement, all in the name of preserving the island's peace and quiet. It might sound extreme, but once you've strolled Capri's narrow lanes to the gentle hum of cicadas and s e a b r e e z e , y o u u n d e r - stand: silence is sacred here, and your wooden-soled san- dals are not. In Venice, another city o v e r r u n b y c h a r m a n d crowds, pigeons have long been part of the postcard-per- fect image. But feeding them? That's illegal. Since 2008, d r o p p i n g c r u m b s f o r t h e pigeons in Piazza San Marco has been banned, with hefty fines for offenders. The rea- soning is practical: bird drop- pings are corrosive, damaging centuries-old façades, and t u r n i n g t h e s q u a r e i n t o a feathery free-for-all was ruin- ing the experience for every- one, especially the marble. Florence, not to be out- done, has had its own clash w i t h t o u r i s t s a n d t h e i r snacks. In certain parts of the historic center, eating in pub- lic areas during lunch hours is forbidden; That's right – no panini on doorsteps, no pizza al taglio against the wall of a palazzo. The aim? To keep the c i t y c l e a n a n d r e s p e c t f u l . After all, if Michelangelo did- n't chisel David with a mor- tadella sandwich in hand, maybe the rest of us can wait until we find a proper bench. I n R o m e , i t ' s n o t t h e sandwiches that raise eye- brows, but the fish. The city h a s o u t l a w e d t h e s a l e o f round goldfish bowls, arguing that the shape is bad for the fish's health (which is true). This law reveals a tender side of Roman policy: the welfare of pets is taken very seriously. So if you want a fish, it better swim in style – and plenty of space. Then there's Milan, a city known for fashion, finance, a n d – b e l i e v e i t o r n o t – mandatory smiles. Or so it was, at least, a couple of cen- turies ago, when the city was under the rule of the Habs- burg: back then, there was a legal requirement for citizens to smile in public, with excep- tions made only for funerals or hospital visits, all in name of public decorum and "bella figura". Today, finding a smiling Milanese is not that r a r e , e v e n w i t h o u t l a w s enforcing it: you just need to get them after they found a parking spot. And speaking of smiles, Turin has a law that's seri- ous about pets and happiness too. Dog owners are legally required to walk their dogs at least three times a day, or face a fine of up to €500 ( roungly around 550 dollars). It's a regulation born out of the city's commitment to animal welfare, and it makes one thing clear: in Turin, even dogs have their civic rights (and rightly so!). Of course, many of these laws are only lightly enforced, or serve more as symbolic g e s t u r e s t h a n p u n i t i v e threats. But they paint a vivid picture of a country that trea- sures beauty, ritual – not that strange – and a particu- lar sense of order, too – a bit more unexpected. At the end of the day, these curious codes are a reminder that in Italy, every detail mat- t e r s . A b e a u t i f u l s t r e e t deserves to stay clean, a quiet island deserves peace, and a dog deserves a daily prome- nade. The rules may seem s t r a n g e t o o u t s i d e r s , b u t they're all part of what makes Italy… well, Italy. CHIARA D'ALESSIO N o s a n d c a s t l e s a n d n o c l o g s ! Italy's most bizarre laws Feeding pigeons in Venice is illegal! 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