People jogging in Venice, Italy. [Getty Images]
People jogging in Venice, Italy. [Getty Images]

An American couple nearly faced hundreds of dollars in fines after one of them ran shirtless through the streets of Venice, Italy.

According to the British newspaper The Independent and other outlets, Julia Latoff and her boyfriend Mike Nacarella, a long-distance runner, traveled to Venice for a vacation last month and ran into unexpected trouble.

The couple, who enjoy running at the places they visit, decided to go for a jog in Venice as well — heading out early in the morning to run through the city's narrow alleyways before the tourist crowds arrived.

Within 10 minutes of setting off, however, they drew hostile stares from locals. The reason: Nacarella was running without a shirt.

One resident shouted at the pair, "This isn't a beach."

Nacarella had also run shirtless in Florence earlier that week, where he had seen other runners doing the same, so he had not expected it to be a problem in Venice.

After searching online to understand the locals' reaction, the couple discovered an unexpected rule: Venice prohibits going shirtless or wearing swimwear in public spaces. Violators can face fines of up to 250 euros ($292).

Venice introduced the regulation in 2018 to preserve the city's dignity and cultural atmosphere. The city is home to major historical and religious landmarks, including St. Mark's Basilica and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, and the dress code is intended to maintain decorum in public areas surrounding them.

The couple stopped running immediately after learning of the rule. With their accommodation more than 3 kilometers away, Nacarella got help from his companion to buy a T-shirt at a nearby shop before heading back.

Latoff shared the story on social media, writing, "Hopefully everyone can learn from our experience and always have a mindset of cultural respect."

The incident is a reminder that behaviors travelers might not expect to be illegal can in fact constitute violations abroad.

In Venice, swimming or diving in the canals carries a fine of up to 350 euros, while sitting or lying on bridges, steps or the ground, and eating in the street can result in fines of up to 200 euros. Feeding pigeons or seagulls draws penalties ranging from 25 to 500 euros, and pushing or riding a bicycle in the city center and camping in public spaces are also strictly prohibited.

In Italy's Portofino and Spain's Barcelona, tourists can be fined for lingering too long at popular photo spots. At some ancient sites in Greece, high heels are banned to protect stone floors and structures, and several Caribbean nations restrict the wearing of camouflage clothing that resembles military uniforms.

Eric Bowman, editor of the travel publication Travel Pulse, told Fox News that the most important thing when preparing for international travel is to check not only the general etiquette of the destination country but also the specific rules of individual cities and tourist sites. He added that consulting a travel expert or advisory service is another option worth considering.


betterj@heraldcorp.com