# What should you wear in Italy?

> What to wear in Italy month by month, with Rome and Venice temperatures, the St Peter's and church dress code (shoulders and knees), summer tips and a packing list.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-wear-in-italy
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-10-18
- Last updated: 2026-10-26

**Pack for the city, not the beach: light trousers, midi skirts and dresses, and tops that cover your shoulders, because Italy's big churches turn away bare shoulders and short shorts, and St Peter's in Rome is the strictest.** Summer is hot inland: Rome averages 33°C by day in July and August and Bologna 31°C, while winter is cold and damp in the north, with Venice near freezing at night in January. Outside churches there is no dress code, and Italians tend to dress a notch smarter than visitors. We travelled northern Italy from 25 July to 3 August 2023, staying in Verona, Bologna and Venice with a day trip to Parma, so the summer advice is first-hand; we did not visit Rome or the Vatican on this trip, so those rules come from current visitor guidance.

## What to wear in Italy by month

Average daily highs and lows for Rome (Urbe station) and Venice, 1991–2020 normals. Rome and the south are hotter and drier in summer; the north, including Venice, Verona, Bologna and Milan, is colder and foggier in winter. Bologna, inland in the Po valley, averages 31°C by day in July but about 0°C at night in January.

Venice Carnival runs 23 January to 9 February 2027; see our [Venice Carnival 2027 guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/venice-carnival-2027-dates-winter-travel-guide). Venice's high tides (*acqua alta*) are most likely from autumn to early winter, when waterproof shoes or cheap plastic overboots sold in the city are worth having.

| Month | Rome | Venice | What to wear |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 13 / 3°C | 8 / 0°C | Warm coat, scarf and waterproof shoes. |
| February | 14 / 3°C | 9 / 1°C | As January. Carnival season in Venice. |
| March | 17 / 6°C | 13 / 5°C | Warm jacket and layers. |
| April | 20 / 8°C | 17 / 9°C | Light jacket and layers. Easter crowds at churches. |
| May | 25 / 13°C | 22 / 14°C | T-shirts, light trousers and a layer for evenings. |
| June | 30 / 17°C | 26 / 17°C | Summer clothes plus a scarf or shirt for churches. |
| July | 33 / 19°C | 29 / 19°C | Linen and cotton, a sun hat, and something to cover your shoulders in churches. |
| August | 33 / 20°C | 28 / 19°C | As July. Many shops close around Ferragosto on 15 August. |
| September | 28 / 16°C | 24 / 15°C | Summer clothes, a light layer by the end of the month. |
| October | 23 / 12°C | 19 / 11°C | Light jacket, long sleeves and an umbrella. |
| November | 17 / 8°C | 13 / 6°C | Waterproof jacket and a sweater. Rome's wettest month. |
| December | 13 / 4°C | 8 / 1°C | Warm coat, scarf and gloves. |

_Average high / low in °C, 1991–2020. Multiply by 1.8 and add 32 for °F._

## What to wear in Italy as a woman, and as a man

**As a woman:** summer dresses, skirts and shorts are all normal in Italian cities. The one habit worth copying is carrying a light scarf or shirt, because you will walk past open churches all day and most ask for covered shoulders. Midi skirts and linen trousers handle both the heat and the church door.

**As a man:** shorts are common among tourists in summer, but long linen or cotton trousers are what you need for St Peter's and the stricter churches. Going shirtless in town is frowned on everywhere and fined in some places: Venice's city rules ban walking around in swimwear or bare-chested.

Italians notice shoes and fit more than bare skin; clean, simple clothes go further than anything flashy. See [what is considered rude in Italy](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-is-considered-rude-in-italy) for the etiquette side.

## Church and Vatican dress code

**The rule at Italy's major churches is shoulders and knees covered, for men and women.** Sleeveless tops, low necklines, shorts and skirts above the knee are the things that get people stopped, and hats come off inside. Enforcement is strictest at **St Peter's Basilica** and the **Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel** in Rome, where staff turn people away; also check **St Mark's Basilica** in Venice, which applies the same rule and does not allow large backpacks inside, and the cathedrals in Milan and Florence.

At smaller parish churches a scarf draped over bare shoulders is usually enough. Don't rely on that at St Peter's: wear sleeves and trousers or a skirt below the knee on the day you visit. Our [temples and mosques overview](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-wear-at-temples-and-mosques) compares Italy's rules with the rest of our route.

## Italy packing list

• **Comfortable walking shoes:** cobbles, marble and, in Venice, hundreds of bridge steps. Sandals with a back strap for summer.

• **A light scarf or shirt** to cover your shoulders in churches.

• **Long, light trousers or a midi skirt** for St Peter's and the stricter churches.

• **Sun protection:** a hat and sunglasses for July and August, when the inland cities pass 30°C.

• **A refillable water bottle:** Rome and Venice both have public fountains with free drinking water.

• **Winter:** a warm coat, scarf and waterproof shoes for the damp north.

## What we saw in Italy in late July

We were in northern Italy from 25 July to 3 August 2023: Verona, with a day trip to Parma, then Bologna (27 to 31 July) and Venice. The route is in our [Venice, Verona and Bologna itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/resources/italy-itinerary-venice-verona-bologna). That is the hottest part of the year inland, and the churches were where the shoulders-covered rule came into play: the Gothic brick church in Verona in our cover photo, and the Baroque church interiors of Bologna, like the one below.

In Bologna the porticoes, around 62 km of covered walkways listed by UNESCO, give shade on the hottest afternoons. Venice averages 29°C by day in July, a little cooler than Bologna; light clothes plus a scarf for church visits work in both.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the dress code for St Peter's Basilica?

Shoulders and knees covered for men and women, with no sleeveless tops, shorts or short skirts, and hats off inside. It is the most strictly enforced church dress code in Italy.

### Can you wear shorts in Italy?

Yes, on the street. For St Peter's, the Vatican Museums and other major churches you need knees covered, so carry long trousers or a skirt below the knee.

### What should I wear in Italy in summer?

Linen and cotton, a sun hat and comfortable shoes, plus a scarf or shirt to cover your shoulders in churches. Rome averages 33°C by day in July and August.

### Can you wear a sleeveless top into a church in Italy?

Not at the major churches. Cover your shoulders with sleeves or a scarf; a scarf is usually enough at small churches but not at St Peter's.

### What should I wear in Venice?

Comfortable shoes for the bridges, light clothes in summer and a warm, waterproof coat in winter. Venice's city rules ban walking around in swimwear or bare-chested.