Italy’s infamously jaunty landmark attracts 5 million visitors each year to witness Tuscany’s tower on the wonk. In fact, the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s almost 4-degree lean has been seen by some as a lesson in the appeal of minor imperfections and a challenge to conventional beauty. So it may come as a surprise that the Italian landmark has a strict dress code for visitors.

What to avoid wearing to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Seen by some as little more as a backdrop to goofy holiday photo ops (you know the one), few tourists realise it is part of the nearby duomo and baptistry. As such it belongs to the Catholic Church.

The tower was built as a free-standing bell tower and is technically part of Pisa Cathedral.

“The cathedral is a place of worship and prayer. Visitors are asked to dress and behave appropriately, respecting both the place and people,” says the English-language ticketing website.

No short shorts

The dress code asks visitors to “avoid wearing clothes that are too revealing”. Short trousers and short skirts are among the items tourists are asked not to wear, along with crop tops that reveal the midriff.

Strangely, the cathedral makes this distinction for only female visitors. The ticketing website says there is “no specific dress code for men”, adding that shorts and T-shirts are acceptable.

However, sleeveless tops are “not allowed”.

Visitors to Pisa's tower and duomo are asked to dress and behave appropriately, respecting both the place and people. Photo / OPA Pisa

No backpacks or cannonballs

Visitors are not allowed to carry large bags up the tower. The guide recommends bags, backpacks and other “unnecessary items” are left at the hotel.

While this is partly because of the narrow 12th-century staircase that allows little room for movement, it is partially because of the leaning tower’s inexplicable appeal to tourists looking to drop items over the edge.

Ever since 1589, when Galileo Galilei dropped cannonballs off the side to calculate gravity’s constant.

Since then the cathedral has had to discourage tourists from conducting their own “falling bodies experiment”. Visitors will have to leave items in the cloakroom, at their own cost.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a popular photo attraction for tourists visiting Italy. Few realise it is a disconnected part of the cathedral. Photo / Getty Images

Jandals are out

The tower’s 251 steps are open to paying climbers, between 10am and 6pm daily.

It’s not an easy task, even before you take into account the floor is made of slippery 12th-century marble.

It’s for this reason that jandals or flip-flops are on the list of banned items for climbing the Italian landmark.

“Closed-toe shoes with good traction are recommended.”

While wearing the wrong thing could lead to your admission being cancelled, there are other non-fashion-related crimes that the tower takes more seriously.

Last year, amid the 850th-anniversary celebrations of the bell tower, a teenage tourist was handed a record fine.

A 19-year-old French citizen was reported to police after carving a love heart and her boyfriend’s initials into the side of the tower.

According to local paper La Repubblica, she used the side of her bracelet to do so.

She allegedly didn’t think she was doing any harm because there was other graffiti in the monument.

Aggravated damage to the monument is punishable by either imprisonment of up to a year or a fine of not less than €2065 ($3700).

This article was originally published on the NZ Herald here.