Vatican Dress Code

Many people wait in extended lines to get into St. Peter’s Basilica. If you’ve been there, you’ve seen lines that perhaps stretch all around the famous St. Peter’s Square. What could be more frustrating than to wait in this line – in the hot Roman sun – and then be denied entry because you are not clothed properly?
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There are very clear and published dress codes for entry into St. Peter’s Basilica, the Scavi Tour (under the Basilica), and the Vatican Museums. Unfortunately, the rules for each section sometimes conflict and this leads to some cofusion.

From the Vatican Museums site, Helpful Hints:
Access to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens and Saint Peter’s Basilica is permitted only to visitors dressed appropriately (no sleeveless blouses, no miniskirts, no shorts, no hats allowed).

From the Vatican website for the Scavi Tour:

Clothing should be appropriate for a sacred place: long trousers/slacks/jeans for men; dresses that reach below the knees or long trousers/slacks/jeans for women; shoulders must be covered for all.
And if you’ve been to St. Peter’s Basilica, you’ve seen these signs outside:

In the simplest terms, your clothing should cover your shoulders AND cover your knees.
These rules apply equally to men and women. So no tank tops, no short skirts for ladies, or above-the-knee men’s shorts. Dress should be respectful as you are entering a church, a sacred place, and in the Vatican Museums – the chapel of the Pope… the Sistine Chapel.
Ladies, if you are wearing a sun-dress, you will be asked to cover your shoulders so a shawl is appropriate. Make sure you bring one. Gentlemen, if you’re wearing a hat, be prepared to remove it and keep it off in St. Peter’s Basilica. Failure to follow these rules will get you a reprimand from the “Fashionista Police.”
Yes, after you’ve waited in lines for an hour and gone through security (X-ray), you may be stopped within site of the stairs that lead to St. Peter’s Basilica by young, smartly dressed “fashionista police.” These are the Vatican representatives that will tell you politely – and firmly – that you cannot enter the Basilica. Once you have been pegged as a dress-code violator, debate is fruitless. You will need to alter your dress – add a shawl for example – in order to gain entry.
Are there folks who slide by here? Yes, I’ve seen people tie towels around their waist to offset their short skirt. I’ve witnessed groups huddle around a “violator” and try and gain entry past the watchful eye of these protectors of all-that-is-sacred. Yet, these young men are very resourceful and take their jobs seriously. If you’ve been to the Basilica, you’ve seen the groups parked off to the side, trying to determine how to deal with the one person in their group who is NOT in compliance. So DON’T be that one person!
Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, once you are past the “fashionista police”, you will still need to maintain the dress-code requirements. Inside, other Vatican representatives will monitor your dress. So better to just wear something that is comfortable. I often carried a pair of “long pants” in my messenger bag in the summer if I knew I was headed into Vatican City.
Well, yes and no. Part of your tour of the Vatican Museums will include the Sistine Chapel. And although I’ve rarely seen visitors detained at the entrance to the Vatican Museums… I have seen people stopped outside the Sistine Chapel and denied entry – or told to take off their hat, put on their shawl, etc. To get to the Sistine Chapel, you have to walk all the way through the Museums. Denied entry, you would have to double-back and walk – against traffic – to the exit.

Like all things in Italy there are rules… and then there’s the interpretation of the rules. Granted, some folks just slide by. And sometimes a guard may look the other way
… but you’re not going to know that in advance – so why take the chance of jeopardizing your entry?
And keep your visit in perspective… You’re entering a church, a sacred area, and a chapel – and these are some of the most important and reverent sites in the Catholic Church. It behooves you to be respectful and honor the rules, customs and requirements of the church. As Americans living in Rome, and the omnipresent Catholic church, we used to joke we were all “honorary Catholics” during our “stay in Rome. And thus, so are you. So if you want to witness history, art, then you should respect the culture that created it… at minimum while you visit.
You can wear flip-flops, sandals (I love the line, “Jesus wore ‘em!”), tattoos, facial piercings, etc. Outside of the rules outlined above, the only folks I’ve seen denied entry were those wearing offensive language/symbol T-shirts. Those folks were told to change their shirt. Again, it comes down to being respectful. The church accepts peoples of all color, culture, age, etc… but with these dress restrictions._________________________________________________________
So the best advice – Go prepared! Some men use those zip-off, convertible pants-to-shorts attire… that’s an option. Others simply carry “extra” clothing, like a shawl or a pair of “long” pants. Yes, in the summer, it will be hot but not an issue in December. Now that you know the rules, you’re prepared to have an enjoyable (and less stressful) visit.
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