Visitors will be banned from Florence’s most popular nightlife areas on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings unless they are eating or drinking in bars or restaurants.
As more tourists return to the city, the mayor of Florence Dario Nardella signed an ordinance banning visitors from popular areas on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to tackle overcrowding.
The “anti-gathering” ordinance, in place since the end of June, is considered a declaration of war against the city’s nightlife. "The squares are public and if people are behaving badly you need to make them go away, you don't say that you can only access these places with a receipt from a bar – it's saying you can only get access if you pay," a local said.
Other bans include the central areas Piazza Strozzi, Santa Croce and Piazza S.S. Annunziata. Eating or drinking on the steps of the basilica of Santo Spirito is banned around the clock. The new rules are enforced with fines of up to €1,000. Florence councillor Benedetta Albanese stated that the rules were put in place “for the livability of our streets and squares.”
