It’s a picturesque, affluent European village where celebrities flock, however, all is not so well behind the scenes.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Princess Diana are among the high-profile guests who have visited Italy’s gem Portofino. In 2022, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got married at Villa Olivetta, located in the small and colorful village.
A playground for the rich and famous, Portofino was named Italy’s richest municipality by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in April. In June, it was closed to host 800 guests for an extravagant $240 million pre-wedding party held for Anant Ambani, whose father is India’s richest man.
Super yachts line its harbor and there are many fine dining experiences.
However, there are some downsides to living in the iconic fishing village.
With temperatures soaring to 33 degrees this week amid the country’s hottest weekend of the year, the village’s 379 residents have been clamoring for relief. Euro News reported.
However, it has been a challenge. They must all obtain permission to use air conditioning in their homes as Portofino is a regional national park and the units must be placed discreetly so as not to spoil its image.
Only a few years ago, the installation of air conditioning units was completely banned.
Amid the sweltering temperatures, disgruntled locals are said to have cussed each other out for using their air conditioners, with police taking to the streets to listen to those stepping out to turn them on.
Some residents even sent the police, the Italian newspaper, photos of the violations in anonymous emails Corriere della Sera reported.
Inspections were carried out in July, where 11 cases of people using air conditioners illegally were found. These were mostly located near La Piazzetta, the main square, where almost half of the units were newly installed. Stamp reported.
Between the beginning of the year and May, there were 22 more violations.
Police have warned offenders they will face fines of up to $83,000 if they refuse to remove the illegal units.
The mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, explained the matter.
It all started last winter when someone installed an air conditioning unit that covered a large portion of a very narrow street, Viacava said. The Guardian.
Summers have become much hotter and July and August have been hot and very humid. It’s not like we want people to suffer and have their sleep interrupted by the heat. We all depend on AC now.
But Portofino is located in a regional park and there are rules that must be respected.
There have also been reports that drones are being used to check buildings, but this has been denied by Viacava.
We just want to make sure that the restrictions are respected and [the] Portofino’s beauty has been preserved, Viacava said The Guardian.
They should be placed in places that are not visible. Slowly, slowly, we are putting everything in order.
He said that this move will give more value to our village.
There was also a hit to satellite dishes in the area.
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