Women's dress code for churches 'other' than St Peters

Not every church can afford to have staff enforcing the dress code so you can cheat if you think that is acceptable. The major churches (e.g. Santa Croce in Florence, Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome enforce the codes particularly the part about covering shoulders. Scarves that cover shoulders work. I wore skirts that were below the knee -- which are perfectly cool but don't create issues in touring.

I always have a big scarf handy that can be wrapped around the waist to cover knees or or draped over shoulders, but normally I do wear pants (very lightweight cotton or seersucker) during the summer.

Some churches will provide a fabric cover-up, but I would rather have my own.

Outside of the major cathedrals like St Peter in Rome, Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) in Florence, San Marco in Venice, etc. dress codes tend to be lax and unenforced.

Although a tan top or extremely short miniskirts may be considered osé at any church, a few years ago, in a hot July, I saw a lady with a bathing suit bikini bottom and a t-shirt iside Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. She went probably there straight from the beach at the Lido.

But even at St. Peter's you can get away with almost anything if you carry with you, even in your purse, a light pareo scarf which you can wrap around your waist and cover your legs that way. It works. Believe me. My wife enters anywhere with shorts that way.

Thank you for the insight.
I like the idea of the scarf to wrap around and will look for the 'pareo' type mentioned. Thank you!

PS.. Went looking today for a pareo or wrap around that would fit my short frame and had no luck online or local stores. Ended up looking at Goodwill and found the perfect thing for a dollar! It's dry clean only, but no biggie since it's not something I would normally wear anyway.
Very light weight black wrap around skirt (with a few large white roses on it) that won't wrinkle and has the hole in the waist to pull a tie through (girls, you know what I mean :-)) I think that the skirt and my light weight black sweater will fit nicely in a corner of my purse/day bag without taking up much room, and pull out when necessary.

Problem solved! Thanks for all those offering constructive advice!!

Nowhere does this code say "Covered shoulders and covered knees"
http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/visita-i-musei/consigli-utili.html

The Vatican website says that the following are not admitted:
indumenti sbracciati (sleeveless garments)
indumenti scollati (low cut/cleavage dresses)
pantaloncini (shorts)
minigonne (miniskirts)

It does not specify that the skirt must be under the knees. A skirt just above the knee would not be considered a miniskirt in most cases.

But above all it does not say you cannot wear a pareo as a skirt.

And let's leave the locals alone. They couldn't care less if your skirt is above the knees. Their granddaughters' shorts are so short they show half chick. That's the current style.

Op, im not seeing what month you are going.... but factor in the humidity of summer & the compression of the crowd. Yr description of the black sweater that scrunches in the corner of yr bag makes me think its of an artificial fiber..... and that makes me want to pass out. Perhaps you have more tolerance than do I.

Thanks, yes. Have something for the night at the Vatican museums. Going in the evening so it will be cooler, as well as much less crowded. Saw the restrictions on the Vatican website, which is why I wanted to prepare with a cover skirt if other churches had similar restrictions, but I have read different things in different guidebooks about the 'smaller' churches . Hence the reason for the original question trying to find out what people had experienced.

The sweater is black and a very light material so I think it will work great. The black wrap around skirt I got today is similar. Both have light weight rayon like material and will cover my skort or sundress for the time I am in the church without causing offense or suffocation :-) Also both will wrinkle minimally even if I have them folded and stored in part of my purse.

PS...the skirt I bought is a regular skirt that wraps around and ties and not a pareo anyway...so should be fine :-)

going in a couple of weeks!

Glad you found something. Key words in the original post were about finding something appropriate, so to me it was clear that you were trying to plan to dress appropriately.