Dress code for churches in Italy; how strict?

[shadypines]

Staying in Sorrento so envisage visiting some of the churches in the city and also more remote areas and possibly Capri. I have read no shorts, above knee skirts and no shoulders/arms showing for women. Is this a strict code or do you find it varies? Thanks.

It was a long time ago but when I went to Venice we visited St Marks church and I had a shawl to cover my shoulders. I was wearing a long dress as well now I think about it. I think maybe we were told by the tour rep about what the rules were. I don't know if it's still the same

yes, quite strict.

take a couple of silk scarves/pashmina to fashion a long(er) skirt or shoulder covering.

Cover your shoulders and shorts or skirts should be knee length at least.

Definetly you have to be respectful or they ask you to leave

No bare arms or shoulders

I always take two shawls with me if I'm dressed in more revealing clothing - one to make a skirt and one to make a shoulder covering. That should be fine as you aren't visiting the Vatican.
Otherwise just try to pick skirts/dresses that are below the knee (can be good in the heat anyway to have a flowy skirt/dress) and then a shawl for your shoulders.

Agree with posts above, dress for church with shoulders covered/knee length dresses/skirts. I'm sure I've been to cathedrals there before as a tourist telling you to cover your shoulders before entering for example.

In some places you'll find that at the entrance they have a basket of shawls to cover up, particularly shoulders. Obviously no swim wear at all allowed.

I've lived in Italy and, in my experience, it really depends! Usually very touristy places will be fussier. Most places are fine with showing shoulders (but not with boobs showing and a massive cleavage) and slightly shorter skirts. Shorts are fine as long as they're not toooo short. If you can see butt cheeks they're too short! For kids they usually look the other way but not for women. Just carry a cardigan in your bag and don't wear seethrough beach clothes.
Advice: if you're visiting churches were you have to pay, look at the timetable on the door. During, shortly before and after mass, everybody gets in for free.

I meant showing 'arms not showing shoulders!!

That sounds lime pretty standard advice. You will get looks if not told to leave otherwise.

Agree with the above. A thin shawl is so light and will pack so easily it's very easy to be respectful

No short skirts, shorts or bare shoulders or cropped tops. Just dress respectfully. Cover bare skin. No low tops with boobs on display.

I wouldn't be too worried about skirt length as long as it's not super short.

In the church I worked in in Florence, they would refuse entry for bare shoulders or above knee skirts/shorts. They would give you a throwaway poncho thing to cover yourself with ifyou didn't have appropriate clothing. You'd be amazed how many people kicked off and refused to wear them! The guards were charmingly implacable: knees or shoulders on show, no entry, no matter how hard you kick off. 😃

Definitely yes dress code. I even got asked to leave when I was wearing reasonable length shorts. I knew about covered shoulders, no cleavage etc so had covered top (not that I was too uncovered anyway) but didnt realise about shorts. They were above the knee.

I live in the south of Italy.
In most churches (as a tourist) you'll be expected to cover your shoulders. That's about it, so no spaghetti strap tops. In the big tourist churches they'll give you a piece of like muslin fabric to use if you haven't got anything.
Not too bothered about legs being on show, though not teeny tiny shorts obviously.
On a thread yesterday people were telling someone all kinds of stuff about what you are expected to wear in Italian churches. None of which is true. As another poster said, she was about the only one in St. Peter's itself not in shorts!

Varies but covered shoulders and skirts and shorts shouldn't be far above the knee

Definitely agree with bigger tourist churches being more strict- though not to the extent some people seem to think. I suppose because there are guards knocking around.
The local places in Sorrento and Capri won't be nearly as fussed.

Thanks for your help everyone, I definitely want to be respectful, I don't wear wear any skimpy stuff myself ...can feel a chat coming on with DD😉

For future reference: St Peter's has its own guards, they aren't ordinary ones. You can visit other churches in Rome without a problem but if there's one place where rules will be followed it'll be there. They might also pull you aside after you've gone in and tell you to cover your shoulders or bugger off. This is pretty much the one place where I'd tell you to strictly follow the dress code. I've seen people not being able to go in after spending a day walking in and out of churches without any problems.

Except as the poster on yesterday's thread said, and as we noticed last August, almost everyone had shorts on.
They were strict about the shoulders, and did keep telling people off in the Sistine Chapel for not being quiet, but the dress code was much more relaxed than even I (coming from the south) had expected.

@Geamhradh interesting - when I was there last (10years ago!) we enjoyed watching the queues of people make it all the way through tickets and security only to be refused at the main doors because of their clothing, including men in normal length shorts! Tons of people were being turned away at different stages of the queue. It was quite bemusing. Maybe the guards were having a bad day 😂id always err on the side of caution.
The pantheon however, despite its signs saying modest dress only seems to let anyone in no matter what.

I wore sundresses but covered my shoulders with a shawl and that was fine. I’m 5’9 for reference so dresses tend to be fairly short! Only place in wore a longer one was the Vatican.

Some churches had plastic ponchos (“slag ponchos” as my delightful husband called them 😂) to use to cover up, but it was no issue to use one, other than being a bit sticky in the august heat!

I got shouted at and almost hissed at when I went into one wearing shorts.