That weird law about not feeding pigeons in Venice got me fined $300 last week

I was on vacation in Venice Italy last Tuesday, just sitting in St. Mark's Square eating a sandwich. This old guy next to me tossed a bread crumb to a pigeon, which I thought was normal. Next thing I know a cop walks up, writes him a ticket, then comes over to me because apparently not stopping him is also a violation. I tried to explain I didn't know about the 2008 law that bans feeding pigeons in the whole city, but the officer didn't care. The fine was $300 on the spot, which ruined my whole afternoon. I looked it up later and turns out the law was made because pigeon poop was damaging all those old statues and buildings. But here's the thing, the locals told me people still feed them at night in hidden spots all the time. Has anyone else gotten caught by a tourist town law that seems totally ridiculous but technically still enforced?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanef3429d ago

Did my buddy get hit with a $50 fine in Florence for eating gelato on church steps?

wade25029d ago

Gotta point out that the law you're talking about isn't from 2008. The Venice pigeon feeding ban actually came in 2008, but the Florence gelato on church steps thing is a different rule. That one's from around 2018 or so, tied to the city's new decorum laws. And it's not about pigeons at all, it's more about keeping the historic steps clean and stopping people from blocking foot traffic. Your buddy might've gotten hit with a citation but it could be under a different ordinance, not the bird one. The fines there are usually around 50 to 150 euros depending on the specific violation. The $50 amount sounds about right for a first offense though.

corap2129d ago

Actually gotta disagree here. The 2008 law makes total sense. Venice is literally sinking and pigeon poop accelerates the stone erosion big time. Saw a documentary about how the basilica's marble is getting pitted from all the bird droppings. Locals sneaking around at night doesn't make the rule dumb. It just means some people are selfish. Tourists cause way more damage than they realize by feeding those birds. $300 is steep but maybe that's the point - to make people stop and think before tossing bread. The real problem is enforcement is uneven. Either fine everyone or don't bother. Getting ticketed for not stopping someone else feels like a stretch though.