The northern Italian coastal town of Portofino has just 379 permanent residents, but it is the wealthiest municipality in Italy. The jet set is a regular visitor. Last Sunday, Madonna came to town, reportedly for a big party being organised by fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana. However, the hot topic here is the local police hunt for air conditioners that have been installed without a permit to keep out the stifling heat.
Portofino has been part of a regional nature park since 1935, and until a few years ago it was strictly forbidden to attach air conditioning units to the pastel-colored buildings. But as the summers got hotter, the rules were relaxed, allowing the units to be used. However, homeowners must obtain a permit to install one, and the air conditioning must be installed in a discreet location so as not to spoil Portofino’s beauty.
Vendetta
Police are now combing the narrow streets for unlicensed units that protrude above the terraces of houses. Between January and May, 22 illegal units are said to have been discovered. Since June, with the rising temperatures, another 15 unlicensed installations are said to have been found.
According to the Italian press, the police have also used drones in their investigation, but Portofino Mayor Matteo Viacava denies this. “It all started last winter, when someone installed an air conditioner that covered most of a narrow street,” he told The Guardian. “The summers are getting hotter. July and August have been sweltering and the humidity is very high. We don’t want people to suffer and sleep badly because of the heat … We all rely on air conditioning these days. But Portofino is in a regional park and the rules are there to be followed.”
Tempers also became increasingly heated. The Italian newspaper Corriere della sera reported on a vendetta between residents, with neighbours ratting each other out of revenge. Residents try to hide their air conditioners or paint them to blend in with their surroundings. In some cases, people would visit their neighbours just to secretly take a photo of their air conditioners and then pass them on to the police.
Anyone who breaks the rules can be fined up to 43,000 euros by the judge, but according to Viacava, most cases have been resolved amicably so far and the intention is not to fine people. “We just want to make sure that the rules are followed and the beauty of Portofino is preserved,” he said. “Slowly but surely, we are getting things in order.” A Portofino police officer did not want to give details about the checks.
Code rood
Since about mid-June, Italy has been experiencing a series of heat waves. In some regions in the center and south of the country, temperatures of over 40 degrees are expected in the coming days. On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced a red code for 17 cities. This means that even healthy people could be at risk. Residents and visitors of places with a red code are advised to stay out of direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
In recent years, demand for air conditioning has been hard to keep up with in Italy. A 2022 report from Istat, the national statistics institute, found that half of all Italian households have air conditioning.
