Dress Code?
 

I thought I read something yesterday about not being allowed to wear shorts in church sites and museums in Rome, but now I can't find where I read that.

Does anyone know of places in Rome that have a dress code and REQUIRE pants? We will be in Rome in July, and I am hoping one pair of pants each will be enough to get us through the week.

We plan to visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel for sure, so need to know if we will require pants that day.

Thanks!

If I were you, I would assume pants for any church visit; and no bare shoulders.

jennifer - the rules are not universal, but you definitely need to have your shoulders and knees covered in the Vatican museum and the churches in Rome and many other places in Italy but a decent skirt and a shawl around your shoulders are perfectly acceptable.

the rule applies to men as well as women - in a church in Florence, they made my DH [whose shorts were almost knee-length] wear a sarong!

personally I'd take more than one pair of pants on a one week holiday, but as I'm british, pants have a different meaning!

Here's a recent thread on the same topic.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-178365-2.cfm

Here's my experience. Modest dress is requested for any church in Rome. A skirt that covers he knees is find. There are signs at just about every church. The only two churches where I encountered active enforcement were St. Peter's Basilica and the Cathedral of Rome, St. John Lateran.

As annhig mentions the modesty requirement also applies to bare shoulders.

Here's a picture of the sign.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...ress-BR-1.html

We wore shorts everywhere but the Vatican. Mind you we look awesome in shorts.

Thank you everyone! We will plan accordingly :)

In Italy it is considered disrespectful to wear inappropriate clothing (shorts, bare arms, showing too much bosom - and no midriff - for adults of either sex). You will be barred at the Vatican - and possibly some other major churches. At smaller churches there is no enforcement at the door but local worshippers (often older women) may make their displeasure obvious via glares or nasty remarks.

Really - you should wear adult clothing in cities, although sights other than churches or upscale restaurants will put up with most anything. (In Europe adults are stylish and typically wear shorts only at resorts or while doing a specific athletic activity.) Children can wear them all the time.

Annhig: Great comment! Not sure if the others got it but I work with lots of Brits, understand and agree with you completely! Very funny.

"you should wear adult clothing in cities"

Where DO these American women dream these absurdities up? It's up to you - and not some foreign self appointed etiquette tsarina - to decide what to wear, except in the tiny number of places with a real dress code. in Italy, that's just churches and a handful of restaurants: outside Italy, NO European Catholic or mainstream Protestant church is so contemptuous of Christ's teachings as to dictate clothing (and actually, Italian churches that aren't tourist meccas are as Christian in their attitude to clothes as the rest of Europe. On hot Sundays, Catholics everywhere - except possibly in the US,since I've only ever attended Masss in the US during the winter - wear what's comfortable to go to Mass in. Worshipping God is what matters: dress codes are for about worshipping mammon).

Only those so uncultured as never to set foot in a museum can seriously delude themselves no-one in shorts ever visits the British Museum.

"In Europe adults are stylish and typically wear shorts only at resorts"

Total, unadulterated, bullshit.

Only someone who's never set foot in London, Paris, Berlin or Rome away from the absolute centre (or has, but is completely blind) could believe anything so utterly in contradiction of the facts.

don´t forget about Lisbon....

Worshipping God is what matters: dress codes are for about worshipping mammon).

Well, Flanner, as an apparent RC in good standing I suggest you write to the Holy Father and ask that He suspend the dress code for St. Peters and the museum.

I'm certain He will understand the part about money.

Thanks for all the input.
As I have no desire to wear pants or a long skirt for my entire visit to Rome in the heat of July. We will limit our visit and pants wearing to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel in one day. The rest of our visit will be outdoor sights such as the Colloseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain etc.

That's the wisest choice, but don't be too surprised if you find lots of people ignoring the code and getting away with it...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...ome_Lazio.html

Peter

I don't believe that TripAdvisor post. I've been to St. Peter's many times (including the heat wave of 2003) and seen lots of people refused entry (including males in long shorts). They get very upset when not allowed in. That's why you will find lots of people selling large scarves and paper pants nearby.

Jennifer, We were in Rome at the end of June one year and it was very hot. I had a couple of linen sundresses and I wore them every day. They had a relaxed fit, and were more comfortable than shorts. I had a scarf to put over my shoulders when going into any churches. I did find people being turned away (including one of my friends who was wearing shorts) from some of the major churches. The enforcement did seem inconsistent though.

But just wanted to say that shorts are not always the most comfortable clothes to wear when walking around a hot city.

For Thomas, here are a few examples of the summer crowds at St Peters, taken by various Flickr members...

A video clip from the day prior to that TripAdvisor family's visit...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmyby.../in/datetaken/

And stills...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missla/...3686/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurata...2906/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blarg/4...9143/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tyle_r/...2143/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aragao/...aken/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luizdea...9615/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuxkuxe...5102/lightbox/

Peter

<<I have no desire to wear pants or a long skirt for my entire visit to Rome in the heat of July.>>

Who does?

That's what sundresses and skirts are for. They're far more comfortable and versatile than shorts, too.

"As I have no desire to wear pants or a long skirt for my entire visit to Rome in the heat of July."

Jennifer - in the heat of summer I find skirts to be very cool. My travel skirt is a very lightweight cotton skirt that is just at the middle of the kneecap. Both my teen daughters wore longish skirts and tank tops with a scarf/sweater on top. You can also do capris though again personally I think a skirt is cooler. Men and boys need to wear long pants. And be aware that even in smaller cities there are places that may require the modest dress - my husband and I were turned away from the Abbey at Monte Cassino and had to drive back to town to put on our long pants.

I don't believe that TripAdvisor post. I've been to St. Peter's many times (including the heat wave of 2003) and seen lots of people refused entry (including males in long shorts). >>

yes, we still talk about DH's offensive knees. he got the hump and refused to go into any more churches after the incident with the sarong, so he would go and get a beer and I'd go into the church. we were both happy.

CYESQ - glad someone got it!

<<<personally I'd take more than one pair of pants on a one week holiday, but as I'm british, pants have a different meaning!>>>

*snicker*



<<<I have no desire to wear pants or a long skirt for my entire visit to Rome in the heat of July.>>>

As others have said, often shorts really are not the coolest option. I was in Rome in August and the sun on my skin would have been much hotter than wearing light weight pants (linen, 100% cotton, etc). Wrinkles are easy to deal with, simply flick/spray a bit of water at the item the night before and hang up overnight. The sun on your skin really adds to your overall temperature.