The city ordinance, which came into effect on September 4, bans people from pausing in the historic center to eat food on sidewalks, roadways and on the doorsteps of shops and houses.
The four streets affected by the ban – Via de’ Neri, Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano and Via della Ninna – are among the busiest in the city and the restrictions are in place during peak eating times: noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Via de’ Neri is filled with food shops, including three branches of the wildly popular sandwich joint All’antico Vinaio and the much-loved ice cream store Gelateria dei Neri.
Hungry sightseers often loiter here to feast upon some of Italy’s finest carbs and dairy. This, supporters of the measure say, exacerbates congestion in an already crowded city and also adds to a litter problem.
He adds, “Tourists, if they behave like they do at home, are and will always be our welcome guests, especially if they want to enjoy our gastronomic specialties […]. Only those who love Florence deserve Florence.”
It’s not the first time Nardella has taken a hard line against street-guzzling. Last summer he ordered that the steps of the city’s churches be hosed down to deter tourists from picnicking upon them.
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Florentines who back the move include Roberta Pieraccioni, president of the Via de’ Neri committee, who told Florence newspaper La Nazione that the group was “satisfied that the City has accepted our requests” and hoped that the new law would “restore a little decorum on our street.”
However, the most popular responses to Nardella’s Facebook missive pointed fingers at local authorities rather than the sightseers visiting their justly famous city.
Many argued that the problem could be alleviated by the introduction of more benches and seating areas.
“Do you know what I find abroad when I go to visit a city? I find benches and garbage cans!” comments Paola Lori.
The poster states that transgressors will pay a fine ranging from €150 to €500, but it’s not known how the system of fines will be scaled or if there’ll be extra city resources allocated to enforcing the new measures.
Florence isn’t the only one of Italy’s blockbuster cities to have introduced such controversial measures.
And earlier this year, Venice introduced temporary regulations over the busy May Day weekend to segregate locals and tourists, with certain areas of the city only accessible to residents and regular visitors.