Latest news with #Portofino
Times
2 days ago
- Times
Homeless banned from begging in Italian beauty spot of Portofino
With its pastel-coloured townhouses, rolling hills and celebrity visitors, Portofino has long been known as a chic playground for the wealthy. However, the Ligurian destination is now making headlines for its attempt to erase signs of poverty from its picture-postcard streets. The town council banned begging in key areas, including the historic centre, port and main tourist streets, during this year's high season in an attempt to protect tourists from being pestered. The measure runs from July 14 to September 30. However, a voluntary association representing homeless people has given the council 15 days to scrap the rule or face legal action. 'Begging is not a crime, and in Italy it cannot be outlawed,' said Antonio Mumulo, president of Avvocato di Strada (Street Lawyer), which filed a formal complaint on Friday. Savannah and LeBron James are among the celebrities who have recently visited the idyllic town OLIVER PALOMBI/THE MEGA AGENCY Portofino has only about 400 residents but receives up to 12,000 visitors a day in peak season, with recent celebrity sightings including Madonna and Rihanna. The ban, which was brought in by Matteo Viacava, the mayor, suggests there is a correlation between rising summer tourist numbers and the presence of beggars in the town. As well as banning non-threatening begging in the designated areas, the measure also prohibits aggressive or repeated requests for money anywhere in Portofino. It forbids lying or sitting on the ground, on benches or under porticoes, as well as loitering with food in public spaces. Rule-breakers risk fines from €25 to €500. The text of the council resolution claims beggars cause 'fear and apprehension among citizens and visitors' and says the ban will help protect both locals and tourists from 'exploitation'. With visits from yachts bigger than houses, Potrofino has both wealth extremes ALAMY Critics, however, say it criminalises poverty. 'Portofino has declared war on poor people,' wrote Andrea Orlando, a regional councillor for the Democratic Party and former labour minister, on social media. Avvocato di Strada also argued the ban is unconstitutional and breaches national law, citing court rulings that overturned similar rules in other Italian cities, including Verona. 'There is a growing mentality that poverty is a personal failing that must be punished,' said Mumulo. 'But poverty is often the result of life's accidents. It is wrong to punish people for being poor.' A census by Italy's national statistics agency in 2021 counted more than 96,000 homeless people nationwide, up from about 50,000 seven years earlier. Viacava did not respond to interview requests.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tessa Thompson snuggles up to new boyfriend Brandon Green as they hold hands on romantic holiday in Portofino
Tessa Thompson and her new boyfriend Brandon Green looked smitten as they enjoyed a stroll on their romantic holiday in Portofino, Italy. The Creed actress, 41, looked chic in a cream sundress as she held hands with The Alchemy of Money CEO, 31. The Thor: Ragnarok star added elegant black shades to accessorise and wore chic red open-toe heels for her outing. The couple - who enjoyed a double date with LeBron James and wife Savannah in St Tropez last week - couldn't keep their hands off one another as they cherished every bit of the dolce vita. Soaking up the sun in the Italian Riviera coastline, Tessa looked on cloud nine beaming next to her partner, who previously dated Harry Potter star Emma Watson. Tessa and the son of controversial tycoon Sir Philip Green were first linked in March 2024 and have been spotted together countless times since, with reports suggesting that they are officially an item. While Tessa famously keeps tight-lipped on her romantic endeavours, she has been linked to Brandon for more than a year. They were first spotted looking cosy at a Lakers game in March 2024 as they appeared happy in each other's company while sitting courtside. Between watching baskets, Tessa and Brandon seemed to have eyes for each other as they beamed at one another. Since then, they have been seen together on a number of occasions, most recently at BST Hyde Park to watch Stevie Wonder. Over the years, Tessa - who identifies as bisexual - has been linked to several high-profile people, including Janelle Monae. In 2015, she was believed to have started dating Janelle after starring as a backup dancer in their Yoga video, according to PopSugar. The pair were also seen together at the 2015 MOCA gala, and three years later Tessa was featured in Janelle's music video for Dirty Computer. Meanwhile, Brandon has previously dated a number of models. He was once caught patting Kate Moss' bottom on holiday in St Barts. However, it looked like he was set to settle down with outspoken actress and activist Emma, when they started dating in 2021. The couple dated for 18 months until it seems that Emma had some kind of an epiphany connected to her 'Saturn return' and decided that she wanted out of the relationship. A Saturn return refers to time when the planet Saturn goes back to the position it was in at the moment you were born. Astrologers say it signifies the end of one life-cycle and the beginning of the next, and it happens at around the ages of 29, 58 and 84, bringing with it 'monumental shifts' in lifestyle.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The six new holiday rules for summer
Holiday rules are already a confusing plethora of official regulations and local customs. And earlier this month, officials in the Italian town of Portofino threw a handful of googlies into the mix when it announced that tourists can no longer walk through the town's cobbled streets barefoot, in swimsuits or indeed topless. Alcohol can only be consumed in bars and restaurants, and God forbid you take a snooze on a wall. The new rules are targeted with precision at uncouth holiday makers and follow similar pan-European crackdowns, which include Vigo in Spain banning peeing in the sea, stealing pebbles in Sardinia and mooning in Grecian town squares. To navigate these regulations and others, here's my essential six new holiday rules. Don't leave home without it. Disguise the pee-at-sea I can't see how the Spanish authorities will effectively police their law against 'physiological evacuation at sea' as I doubt a band of uniformed snorklers will be taking to the waves to catch those worthy of a £650 fine. But they could spot you from the beach. So if you've decided that the beach loo is so foul that it's worth risking a fine, at least pee while you swim. Do not be a cruise bore Heavy fines await anyone who strikes up conversations with strangers on holiday on the subject of cruises, particularly while travelling on cruise ships. Your knowledge of deck numbers, cabaret, restaurant facilities, excursions, staff-to-passenger ratios, hull strength or balcony-laden floating condominiums are not topics for public consumption. Do not take iPads to restaurants If you're foolish enough to own such a device, do not let it leave the bedroom in the evening. On no account bring it to a taverna with the idea that it will keep the kids quiet unless, of course, you wish to be perceived as a regressive gimp. It's better for humanity if your offspring engage in food fights and it's grotesquely offensive to continental culture that favours conversation. But books, card games and colouring-in is very much allowed. Learn some local lingo You must pay respect to the locals and learn the following few crucial sentences so that you can fit in and pleasantly surprise the natives. 'Six beers, please', 'Can you re-heat these chips?', 'I can't afford Château Minuty, do you have any retsina?' 'I have no money but my son will do the washing up', 'What's the Wifi code?', 'Can we get free drinks if we tag you on Instagram?' Enjoy hire car roulette Post-Brexit, it is now harder to gain access to European resolution systems so just enjoy the game for what it is. Thus simply treat the following as a cultural lesson as you discover the hire car is a shuttle-bus-ride away from the airport, there's a queue outside the office with no shade, the staff are competing to see who can display greater nonchalance and there are no water or loo facilities. Their office is closed on the day of your flight home so you'll have to bring it back the day before, oh, and it'll need to be returned with a full tank although the nearest petrol station is 50 miles away. Holiday like you're on holiday Terrible punishments will be meted out to those who confuse holiday with travel. Travel is what occurs to and from the holiday; it's the nightmare bit, no longer some romantic interlude of discovery. A holiday is about no washing up, or shopping or cooking. It is not about the news, or emails, or X or Trump, but about the pool and your sunbed in relation to it. And, endeavouring against my better judgement to adhere to much of the above, I hope to see you back here in two weeks if I return.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Portofino banned tourists from picnics, going barefoot or lying down. I found the rulebreakers
Sailboats bob gently in the water, overwhelmed by the massive superyachts squeezed in beside them. The early morning sun is already bouncing off the pastel-coloured buildings that frame the charming horseshoe-shaped bay. An Italian flag flutters above my head and church bells toll from a hidden location. It's just gone 8am and there's barely a tourist in sight in the main piazza of Portofino as I take a sip of my first cappuccino of the day with a spectacular view of the water. The tranquillity tastes nearly as good as the coffee. But it won't last. Portofino has been transformed from a sleepy fishing village into the biggest drawcard on the Italian Riviera. Once an exclusive playground for the world's rich and famous, it now attracts thousands of day-trippers and Instagrammers who pour through its piazza and cram its narrow alleys in the summer season. Today, the temperatures are steamy when the cruise ship passengers start spilling out on to the wharf and racing to the gelaterias for their first ice cream of the day. Some of the tourists kick off their shoes and dip their feet in the bay, others stroll around in their bathing costumes or strip off their shirts altogether. But in doing so, they are breaking Portofino's anti-tourist rules. Under its tight restrictions, picnics are also banned, and dogs must be kept on a leash. And sitting on a bench with a beer in your hand or taking an afternoon snooze in the wrong place might also cost you. Yet most visitors have no idea they are liable for fines from €25 (£22) to €500 (£435) for violating the strict new laws, which were recently approved by the local council. Portofino's mayor, Matteo Viacava, has banned bad behaviour in a bid to restore decorum to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. It has a weighty reputation to uphold. Over the years, Portofino has welcomed Hollywood A-listers from Charlie Chaplin and Ava Gardner to VIPs such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Winston Churchill. In recent years, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Madonna have holidayed here, and the quaint town's luxury boutiques and designer stores are testament to the well-heeled clientele it continues to attract. Perhaps that's why poor behaviour can no longer be tolerated by the town's 350 permanent residents – unless you are lodging in a five-star hotel or on a private yacht of your own. But while I find one sign banning bare chests and bathing suits, there is no signage advising tourists of the entire list of the new restrictions, and no one in uniform seems to be patrolling the alleys or the pristine piazza enforcing the new rules. On top of that, the mayor is not available for comment and not responding to my calls ('He spoke to the press a few weeks earlier and has nothing further to say,' a council employee tells me). The chief of police is also away from the office during my visit. If anyone is curious about checking the finer details, it takes quite a bit of research to find the new ordinance on the council website. When I ask for help, one council employee tells me he can't find it either. Finally, I root it out… and, of course, it is in Italian. There's no clarity on which misdemeanour warrants a mere €25 fine and which will see you slapped with a €500 one. Back in the piazza, Danny, Harry and Otis have just landed from Huddersfield, and have immediately stripped off their shirts to soak up the sun. The bare-chested 20-year-olds are taken aback when I tell them the move could cost them a few hundred euros if they're caught. 'We got a few funny looks, we didn't know that,' says Danny, a maths student at Leeds University. 'I don't think I could even afford that,' he adds with a grin. Nicole, a 22-year-old cruise ship passenger from St Louis, Missouri, is also surprised she could be fined for taking off her shoes and putting her feet in the shallows. 'I am not interested in a fine,' says Nicole, as she rubs the sand off her feet. 'I think we need to cut this short and put our shoes on,' says her now-panicked mother, Julie. The following morning, local police are spotted patrolling the streets and stopping for coffee, but there is no indication of whether they intend to fine any of the tourists for flouting the rules. 'I am not authorised to speak to you,' one police officer tells me. 'But are you issuing any fines?' I ask. 'You have to go to the town hall. I can't say anything.' Outside Gepi, one of Portofino's most popular gelaterias, tourists are lining up for their favourite flavours, which are sold at a premium. In keeping with the mayor's sentiment, local residents have taken the initiative and placed their own signs saying 'Do not sit here' to deter ice-cream lovers from any errant licks or loitering. 'They were put here by my neighbours because they are annoyed by the mass influx of people,' says 29-year-old Gianluigi Mariotto Rocca, who opens the doors of his ice-cream parlour from 7am to midnight in the summer. He's unapologetic about the enthusiastic ice cream lovers. 'I sell gelato, I don't sell big-name designer brands. There are a lot of people so there's plenty of business.' Mariotto Rocca thinks the council is doing a good job representing the best interests of Portofino and insists bad behaviour is not confined to the tourists who visit the town. 'They're everywhere. It has nothing to do with the tourists here. There are badly behaved people all over the world. It's not just here.' As the sun goes down, the day trippers return to their cruise ships docked in Portofino Bay, the streets empty out and the town recaptures its quiet equilibrium and timeless elegance. Cocktails are being served at the Splendido Mare Hotel overlooking the square and the superyachts have switched on their lights. The aroma of fresh fish and garlic wafts across the alleys from the windows of the restaurants in silent anticipation of their guests. Michela Nicosia, the manager of the Splendido Mare, has worked in Portofino for 30 years and insists the town has lost none of its charm. And no amount of restrictions is going to stop tourists from making the most of their experience. 'Portofino is special during the day, but when you see the VIPs coming down from their mega yachts in the evening, you can still feel la dolce vita because at the end of the day, this is la dolce vita. This is what people are here for.'
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Feeling Splendido: The Hotel That Serves Elizabeth Taylor's Favourite Spaghetti
She's had a meticulously planned face-lift. But though the Splendido's appearance may have been refreshed, her celebrated spirit – that has attracted a slew of celebrities since 1901 – remains preserved Those in the know don't say they re going to Portofino, they say they're going to the Splendido, A Belmond Hotel. This isn't just an indication of how intrinsically linked this starry, storied property is to it: location on the Italian Riviera – it's what it says about you. It's a stamp of belonging to a rarified world. An indication of taste, refinement. And yes, we will be so crass to point out, sheer spending power. The 'Homage to Elizabeth Taylor' tomato spaghetti starter – named after and created for the icon that adored it, and spent four of her honeymoons here – is 40 Euros. And when you order it, accompanied by a chilled spritz on the jasmine-scented, wisteria-clad La Terrazza, youll come to the realisation that money surely can buy happiness. This pink 16″-century Benedictine monastery anything but austere, as stars like Jennifer Aniston and Madonna would attest to. And it's reemerged this summer season with added aplomb, having undergone a meticulous facelift courtesy of designer Martin Brudnizki, to celebrate its 40 anniversary under the stewardship of Belmond. Drawing inspiration from its setting – at the summit of a cliff overlooking the glistening superyacht-filled harbour (and the homes of designers Giorgio Armani and Dolce and Gabbana in the distance) – motifs of painted flora and fauna, bespoke Medea furniture and local artisanal techniques, are married with requisite upgrades when it comes to tech and modern amenities. You definitely won't hear your neighbours, keen athletes on the tennis court, or the seagulls that swoop in the sunshine outside. The vibe? Staying at your art collector friend's villa. Luxurious, but understated. Comfortable yet elevated. Somewhere it wouldn't seem out of place to see Jeff Goldblum and his jazz band take to the piano for an impromptu performance (true story, this actually happened in June). Opt for one of the suites – 103 offers excellent views and two balconies, plus a stand-alone sunken tub complete with Acqua di Parma toiletries – while La Baronessa is sure to become the ultimate bolt-hole for regulars looking for sprawling space. And while it's tempting to order breakfast in bed, venture downstairs to fully indulge in a generous array of dainty patisserie, juicy sun-kissed fruit, fresh mascarpone and burrata coupled with the region's famous pesto, plus Lombardian chef Corrado Cortis signature Portofino eggs. Even A-listers can't resist the temptation of taking a snap of the bay as the sun rises. You'll be tempted to take all your meals at La Terraza – a hotspot for visitors willing to make the trek up the steep hill to get a taste of the property, and excellent for people-watching – but the poolside Splendido Grill is another option. Don't miss the trofie pesto – rightly recommended by all the staff as a must-try – though the scent of wood-fired pizzas is hard to resist. Those taking in the sun on the tangerine-hued loungers with their distinctive striped parasols, can also take advantage of this menu as they dip n the (temperature-controlled) saltwater pool and sip. If there's an unexpected drizzle? Head to the indoor bar that dispenses excellent Negronis and Ava Gardner (another fan) cocktails. This season also sees the opening of a Dior spa. Distinctive Toile de Jouy wicker furnishings immediately set the scene, with a menu of face and body treatments that can be enjoyed in the comfort of dedicated rooms, or outside in specially created cabanas hidden on the cliffside. Many enjoy the brisk walk down to Portofino's designer boutique-lined pizzetta, where ferries still usher locals to nearby Towns like Santa Margherita (where Silvio Berlusconi has his summer house) and fishermen share space with big boats in this once-sleepy village, but the Splendido also puts on a regular shuttle for guests. A hotspot? The hotel's sister property, the 14-bedroom Splendido de Mare that has captured a prime location at the centre of the main square, flanked by Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cuccinelli and two Louis Vuittons, overlooking the port. Grab a pistachio cone at Gelateria Bar San Giorgio – a contender for the best ice-cream in the country. Splendido is set amidst a protected, forested park – hence its lush surroundings – and in keeping with this ethos, it has a special relationship with an eco-farm La Portofinese. They'll dispatch a tiny van to take you up what seems to be a footpath, but is actually a winding road, further into the greenery, where you can have private cooking lessons or dine amid organic vineyards and plantations endemic to the area. A must-do activity, even though you'll be loath to leave the comforting confines of the hotel, or cut into the exploration of the Cinque Terre (ideally via a sleek Riva boat that the hotel can arrange). There's also been another simultaneous unveiling this season: the spectacular Villa Beatrice. This five-room villa (four suites in the main house, and a stand-alone cottage) with its own private pool and gardens offers the ultimate in privacy. Butler? Check. Private chef? Check. And complete access to the hotel next door if you're looking for company during aperitivo. What To Pack: It would be remiss to head to Portofino without a sprinkling of raffia and some enormous shades. This season, Chloe does the trick. For those who pride themselves on knowing the best, and staying at the best, it's a rite of passage to stay at the Splendido. It says you've not only arrived, but that you've kind of always been there, always belonged. And it takes a magical place to have this allure. For people, from billionaires to celebrities, to wear their patronage as a badge of pride. Once thing is for certain, the hype is justified. It's a privilege to be part of this club.
