A NYC couple has gone viral after revealing they accidentally broke an obscure Venetian dress code during a morning jog.
Julia Latoff, a dietitian based in New York City, and her boyfriend Mike Naccarella, an endurance athlete, were vacationing in Venice, Italy, last month when they set out for their usual sightseeing run. The couple had made a habit of jogging early to beat the crowds and explore new cities on foot.
“Running while we’re traveling is something we do to get to know the city and to sightsee,” Latoff told The Post, explaining that they hit the cobblestones around 7 AM to avoid tourists.
Within minutes, the couple sensed something was wrong. Naccarella had taken his shirt off due to high humidity and temperatures already in the high 80s, a routine he follows in New York. Passersby began staring and giving them pointed glances.
“Within the first 5 to 10 minutes, Mike noticed people looking at him and giving us glances. We knew something was off, but we weren’t sure exactly what it was,” said Latoff.
An older Italian man finally shouted at them, “this isn’t a beach,” prompting the couple to investigate. Naccarella told The Post that he ended up googling “why am I getting dirty looks running in Venice?” The search revealed that Venice explicitly prohibits bare chests and swimwear in public streets and squares, with fines reaching up to €250, or roughly $290.
“We had also run in Florence earlier that week and saw other shirtless runners, so we didn’t think anything of it!” Latoff explained in an Instagram post.
The rule, posted on the city council’s website, was introduced in 2018 to reinforce respect around religious landmarks including Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Santa Maria della Salute, which honors the Virgin Mary.
Horrified, the couple abandoned their route. “I want to follow any of the rules that are in place in any area that I’m visiting,” said Naccarella.
They found themselves two miles from their accommodation with no way back without further violating the code. Naccarella’s sister and her fiancé, who were running with them, volunteered to buy him a t-shirt. He ducked into an alley to cover up, eventually finishing the run in a white “Creation of Adam-inspired” Aperol Spritz t-shirt.
The couple later posted a now-viral clip ending with a joint apology: “Sorry, Venetian people, we didn’t know!”
The video drew a flood of comments, many hostile. “Tell me you are American without telling me you are American,” one commenter wrote. “Venice is not a beach, and it’s not a tourist playground,” said another. “Oh look, an American that thinks they don’t need to respect the laws of foreign nations,” chastised a third.
Some commenters took a lighter tone. “If you’re gonna accidentally break an extremely niche, obscure law in Italy… at least you looked incredibly good doing it,” one offered. “I love that men aren’t allowed to show their nipples either. This is the equality we fight for,” deadpanned another.
Latoff told The Post she was taken aback by the anger. “I’m surprised at how angry people are, especially since we reconciled the situation immediately and our attitude was trying to be respectful,” she said. “People are just continuing to leave hateful comments about American travelers.”
Naccarella acknowledged the more flattering responses with dry humor. “It doesn’t really cover up the embarrassment I felt in the moment, but it is flattering nonetheless,” he admitted.
In the viral moment that spawned the backlash, the couple’s innocent attempt at a morning workout became an unwitting lesson in Venice’s strict decorum laws. The bare-chest ban is one of several rules the Venice City Council enforces to “preserve urban cleanliness and landscape, and also for reasons of safety and public hygiene.” Other prohibited behaviors include eating or drinking while sitting on the ground, lying on canal banks or monuments, and diving into canals. Fines for these offenses range from €100 to €350. Feeding pigeons or seagulls, dubbed a “crime of crumbs,” carries fines between €25 and €500. Bicycles are banned entirely in the city, even when walked by hand, with only one narrow exception near the train station.
Latoff said she hopes the experience encourages more compassion toward tourists everywhere. “Everyone has the right to travel and explore, and hopefully, everyone can learn from our lesson and make sure that they’re mindful of the culture,” she said. She added that living in New York City has shown her how visitors can unknowingly violate local norms, and she encourages treating confused tourists with kindness rather than frustration.
The couple recently posted a running montage from their European vacation showing them fully clothed in every photo.