Hello fellow RS enthusiasts!
I wanted to get some clarification on the dress code for churches and other religious sites. Is just covering your shoulders okay or is it shoulders and knees? I've seen varying opinions on this, so I wanted to check before our trip in a few weeks.
Thanks in advance!
Shoulders and knees should be covered.
The only question or grey area is often if shorts touch the top of the knee it is fine vs. actually covering the knee.
The knee rule seems to have a little ore leeway for men wearing shorts touching the top of the knee whereas for a woman they may have to cover the knee.
Either way not worth chancing it and cover both knees and shoulders.
Also, you are fine wearing a scarf or similar wrapped around your shoulders or I imagine knees.
katie,
I'm not sure it's possible to provide a "one size fits all" reply, as I've found that the rules tend to vary slightly.
Some of the smaller Churches seem to have slightly less stringent rules. Based on my observations, the strictest place I found was the St. Peter's Basilica (not surprisingly) and having both shoulders and knees covered there would be prudent. In Siena shoulders must definitely covered, but I can't recall how strict they were with knees.
You may find this website helpful....
http://www.romecabs.com/blog/2012/08/how-to-dress-when-visiting-romeitaly-churches/
Either way not worth chancing it and cover both knees and shoulders.
Best answer, IMHO. You've come a long way to see these places, and I have seen tourists turned away for having shoulders and knees uncovered. As Ken said, it depends on individual churches and/or how strict the attendants are on any given day.
Capris are a good solution for women, and you can tuck a scarf into your bag for throwing around your shoulders if wanting to go sleeveless.
"you can tuck a scarf into your bag for throwing around your shoulders if wanting to go sleeveless. "
One tip though..... If you're visiting St. Peter's Basilica, DON'T take the scarf off when inside, even if the temperatures are scalding hot. I witnessed that exact scenario involving a young lady who removed the scarf from her shoulders once she got inside (it was very hot that day). Within a few seconds, the security guard pounced on her and reprimanded her severely with a very angry look on his face, which had her on the verge of tears.
When a guest in someone's home, best to err on the side of caution and humility. Too much respect is rarely, if ever, possible.
Please keep in mind that there will be people in church to pray, in addition to the tourists visiting for a variety of reasons.
A few years back I was on a day long tour out of Florence that included Siena. One woman apparently was clueless about appropriate dress for the churches or maybe anywhere out in public.
She appeared to be in her 30's and was wearing very tight short shorts and a skimpy tank top. It wasn't even hot. I saw no one anywhere dressed like that, not even the teenagers celebrating the last day of school in the Piazza del Campo.
She brought nothing to cover up with. She seemed exceedingly embarrassed when she was given a couple of those paper cover ups for both top and bottom at the Cathedral. But if they hadn't had them she would not have been allowed in at all.
Not all churches are so well-prepared for inappropriately dressed tourists. If you want to see them, dress respectfully and appropriately.
Full disclosure: I've never found that bare shoulders and knees are that much cooler than covering both, even in Tucson's 100°+ temperatures. Blocking the sun from my skin works better for me.
I'm with Lo - bare skin isn't cooler. Loose clothing is. Skirts are cooler than pants, and longer ones aren't warmer than shorter ones, and more comfortable when you sit down than bare skin on hot surfaces or moist skin sticking to smooth surfaces.
And scarves are a pain to manage if you want to take photos.
What Zoe said.
Its not about what you can get away with. Small churches can't afford to have guards to teach adults what being respectful should be. Clothes are not just about your personal comfort, if they make people around you uncomfortable. Its a church first, tourist attraction second.
Thanks everyone. I am in no way trying to be disrespectful, I just wanted some guidance for packing purposes. As stated, better to err on the side of caution.
I'm going to add a question to this. I had a person who travels for a living tell me no open toes shoes at the Vatican. I haven't seen any other reference to that in the many posts and travel sites I've read. Can you wear sandals/flip flops?
That is a new one. Have not seen or heard anything about open toes other than practical reasons. My wife doesn't wear open toe simply because of the rough cobblestones, broken concrete, etc., that she might stumble over or into and damaging her toes. Please sometimes you accidentally step into somethings. A good closed toe shoe makes more sense for both sexes.
Fairly certain open toed shoes (sandals and the like are fine)
I did just recent sign up for a tour of the Gate of Heaven (inside of the Siena Cathedral) and for this tour they do state:
no slippers, thongs, sandals, clogs
BUT I believe that is just a safety precaution since the tour involves a tight spiral staircase and has nothing to do with the dress code at the cathedral itself.
This information though does point out that it is wise to make sure you have packed more than just open toed shoes just in case you want to take a similar tour elsewhere that might have the same restrictions.
katie,
You may find this interesting.....
Katieflinn, it's wonderful that you cared enough to try and figure it out.
Ken, thanks for the article! That is very helpful :)
Really just echoing others. We just returned from our trip to Italy. The Vatican has a published dress code to cover knees and shoulders. I saw many people inside the Vatican museums who were clearly violating the dress code. I don't know if they just slipped through or if they removed scarves/sarongs after they got inside. Regardless, I wouldn't risk being turned away nor would I choose to violate their clear rules.
However, at less visited churches (church in Tellaro, on Murano, and San Clemente in Rome), I saw no posted dress code at the actual site--and I looked at the doorways before entering--and either there was no one present to check attire or the people working clearly did not care what tourists were wearing. San Clemente's website requests "appropriately modest attire." I saw many men and teenage boys in long shorts that came to the top of their knees but did not cover them. I'm not sure where the "rule" about covering knees comes from if the church itself does not post it.
As far as showing respect as you would in your own church, I haven't attended a church in decades that would frown on people attending in long shorts. My French neighbor, who visits Europe nearly every summer, advised before our trip that my thirteen year old son would be fine in long shorts everywhere except the Vatican. That was consistent with my observations while in Italy. Since he wears shorts even when it is 50 degrees F, I had no interest in making him wear long pants when it was over 80 out and it wasn't necessary--especially when we just looked inside a church for ten minutes out of a full day of other activities.
Open toed shoes are OK but I no longer wear them. Feet get too dirty and I am not willing to risk a smooched toe.
I am just going to join some of the fun here. I was raised Catholic. Any footwear is acceptable except bare feet unless you have a medical issue involving your feet. Then, bandages are just fine. The above poster is correct in that the guided tour ban on flip flops and the like was for staircase safety issues alone. The above poster (Claire) doesn't want her feet smooched! I wonder if this is a spell check issue. I was thinking smashed or smushed. I don't particularly care to have my feet kissed either! Thanks for the laugh.
