Vatican Dress Code

For St Peter's the shoulders and knees have to be covered for both men and women.

I googled that and came up with this same as the above posting and the others that will follow
http://tours-italy.com/rome-tours/guide-vatican/dress-code/

From the Vatican Museums' own website:
http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/visita-i-musei/consigli-utili.html

"Entry to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Gardens is permitted only to appropriately dressed visitors. Low cut or sleeveless clothing, shorts, miniskirts and hats are not allowed."

Just FYI that this dress code can be considered applicable to just about all Italian churches. Some of them follow the code more strictly than others but to be safe, shoulders and knees should be covered.

We have see travelers turned away for not following the dress code, especially in the summer months where shorts and tank tops are common. But not at the Vatican.

When it's hot the dress code is more lax, shorts just above the knee OK. Women seem to be more often turned away than men.

Above replies cover what the requirement is. If you find it too burdensome, don't go. There is no requirement to enter any church.

At some churches they will give you a "scarf" to cover up properly. At the Vatican and St Peters I do not recall this being an option.

It was dress properly or be turned away.

You are entering a CHURCH, not a Disney attraction. And in the case of the Vatican Museum you do end at the Sistine CHAPEL, so it is not unreasonable requirement to dress properly there as well.

Okaydoke. If I had a nickel for every thread on this subject, I'd be on a plane to Rome! 😉

Those threads have almost all been long and, er, lively so this is probably the best way to approach it?

The rules are in print and they're also posted outside the basilica and museum. Just as whether the guards on duty on any given day may or may not allow the independent visitor access to the basilica via the reserved-for-tours passageway from the Sistine, their judgement regarding adequate coverage of offending flesh may be arbitrary. Where one may give an OK to the visible kneecap, another may not. The uncovered shoulder is non-negotiable as far as I've ever been aware: ain't happening. Ladies can get around the bare-shoulder rule by bringing along a scarf which can be used as a wrap during her visit.

Italian churches have individual rules regarding everything from photography to dress. To eliminate any guesswork, we leave the hotel dressed per the Vatican standard, which is always appropriate. That way, even if churches aren't on the agenda, we're able to pop into any we run into which look interesting.

Aside from all that, dressing as kindly requested is simply the respectful thing for a guest to do. "When in Rome....", you know? 😊

What Kathy said.

I've never quite understood the seeming resistance to dressing appropriately for visiting churches. I find that I have much more freedom to go where I want when I want by dressing properly.

The reason for being less fully clothed usually has something to do with heat and comfort. I must be at the far end of the bell curve, but I'm cooler when I'm covered up and the sun does not hit my skin.

Years ago my sister was not allowed in St. Mark's because her shoulders were bare. So for St. Peter's she wore a different ( and warmer ) dress that had her shoulders covered. But it was just above her knee and she was literally yanked out of line by a nun at the entrance. I believe that was probably the nun that had to be treated for exhaustion later that summer. While I toured the church, my sister visited with two gals we had met a week earlier in Salzburg that also were excluded.

I don't think the poster was objecting to or resisting the dress code. I think they just wanted to know what it was. :O)

For St. Peter's specifically men are required to wear pants in order to guarantee entry. They can and have been denied entry in longer shorts or even mens capris. If you're with a man and they want to tour the basilica be sure he is in long pants.

Donna

Yes. The dress code has nothing to do with formality - simply shoulders and knees covered. Shoes can be whatever you want, jeans and t-shirts and sandals or sneakers are fine.

This year (I'm in Rome now) I am noticing much less enforcement for some reason. Over several days at several churches. I specifically brought midi skirts instead of the just above the knee length I prefer and saw lots of people in that length shorts and skirts. Not to say that anyone should try to break the rules...just an interesting chabfe from several years ago in my experience.

This sign outside the basilica was taken in 2011 (not by me) but I don't imagine it has changed at all:

http://de.alamy.com/stock-photo-italy-rome-st-peters-basilica-tourist-sign-with-dress-code-33982724.html

The dress code for St. Peter's is much stricter than for churches in Rome. St. Peter's requires men to be in pants to guarantee entry. Sometimes the guards are more lax but I wouldn't want to risk it. You could wait 20 minutes in the security line then be turned away because your not dressed properly.

Donna

We are in Italy now and just did a Vatican tour w St. Peter's. I noticed some women in skimpy/tight clothing, and usually they put a flimsy scarf on their shoulders and I saw one with a scarf around her legs since her skirt barely covered her rear end (it was a sheer scarf lol). I didn't see anyone turned away but I wasn't specifically looking. It was really hot and I wore a sleeveless top and knee length skirt. I was fine in that until the Sistine chapel where I put a cardigan on. I had planned for that and it worked out well for me. We went in a couple other churches in Rome and though they had signs, very few people were actually dressed appropriately. No one was enforcing it at the smaller (but still amazing) churches. We had not been planning to visit the churches, so my daughter and I had shorts on that were not past our knees, as most shorts for girls and women aren't, and I was prepared to use a scarf but when we walked in and saw half the people dressed like us, I didn't use it.

The smaller churches may have only one person to enforce the dress code. Just because others were breaking the rules doesn't mean you should as well. If you had a scarf, out of respect, you should have used it. Image the next 20 people who came inside and saw you walking around in shorts and sleeveless tops and said, they're doing it I suppose I can too.

Does it really matter if there is no one there to tell you to cover up? Have the strength of character to do the right thing even if no one is looking.

People, please, show respect and obey the rules. Knees and shoulders covered.

Donna

I agree with Donna. I have seen inappropriately dressed people walk into small churches, no one is around except people who might be there to pray.

I saw a group of people in shorts and tank tops EATING ICE CREAM CONES at the Duomo in Perugia. We had (quiet) words.

I saw a group of people in shorts and tank tops EATING ICE CREAM CONES
at the Duomo in Perugia.

Oh my. Definitely beyond the pale, that.