New rule at popular bathing spot that surprises many

The order, signed by mayor Stefano Minerva on Tuesday, applies to the historic center of the city of almost 19,000 people. In downtown Gallipoli, women are not allowed to wear swimsuits, but men are not allowed to wear topless clothes either. The ban is in effect until September 30, and violators can be fined between 25 and 125 euros (about 10,000 to 50,000 forints). The mayor has also introduced a dress code for city offices: shorts and tracksuits are not allowed.

Gallipoli, located in the heel of Italy’s boot, has been flooded with Italian and foreign tourists looking for a holiday in recent years, who love the city for its beaches, its shopping center and the entertainment options in the area, among other things.

Gallipoli has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people since June: last year, more than 788,000 tourists arrived, most of them in the summer months. For years, the city has been trying to “educate” visitors with a code of conduct. It dictates a number of rules to ensure that its beaches and streets do not become victims of tourism. Among these are, for example, that food brought from home can only be consumed in designated areas. This year, the mayor also banned the placement of citronella-scented candles used as mosquito repellents on Gallipoli’s fortress-like city walls.

The mayor asked for the cooperation of residents, who can report tourists behaving inappropriately on social media. Thus, a video taken in the center of Gallipoli, showing a middle-aged woman shopping in a bikini, wearing heels over ten centimeters high, went viral across Italy. According to local newspapers, both merchants and residents protested to the mayor. However, the woman was not fined because her walk preceded the signing of the mayor’s decree.