Dispute Erupts in Italy Over Beach Managed for 80 Years as Nuns Take on City Hall

A curious dispute has erupted on the Ligurian coast between local authorities and a group of elderly nuns who have been managing a beach for around 80 years.

At the center of the dispute is a roughly 50-meter stretch of sand at Bagni Gino Garrone, in the seaside town of Spotorno. The area is managed by nuns from the Suore di Carità di Santa Maria order, while the town council has decided that the concession must be awarded through a public tender. Italian media have described the confrontation as a “holy war.”

The move by the local authorities is intended to enforce European rules on beach concessions, while also complying with regional provisions that establish specific quotas for free access to the coastline.

The nuns took over management of this stretch of coastline in 1946. For decades, they were not subject to some of the usual commercial regulations because the income generated by the beach operation was used for charitable purposes and public-interest services.

The funds raised help finance a school for young children in Spotorno and a summer camp held on the beach.

For many years, just like operators of other private beaches in Italy, the nuns have rented umbrellas and sun loungers to beachgoers. They maintain, however, that this income cannot be considered profit from a business, since it goes toward the order’s charitable activities.

The regulatory framework that allowed them to manage the beach in this way has now changed.

Spotorno Mayor Mattia Fiorini has informed the nuns that the concession will receive a new classification as an “organized free beach.” Under this model, entry and access to the coastline will be free for everyone, while the use of umbrellas and sun loungers will be available for a small fee.

To retain management of the area, the nuns must compete in a public tender under the same conditions as other operators.

The decision has prompted a strong reaction from them. During a public discussion, Sister Miranda, who is over 80 years old, addressed the mayor personally.

“It is ours. Why does the town council want to take our beach away? If it does, we will not be able to keep the school running,” she said, according to Corriere della Sera.

The nuns fear that the new management model could significantly reduce their income and, consequently, the amount of funding they use for charitable initiatives.

Meanwhile, Mayor Fiorini remains determined to implement the new rules. He has stated that if the nuns wish to continue managing the concession, “they must take part in the tender, like everyone else.” The tender is expected to open in the autumn.

The Dispute with the EU Over Coastal Concessions

The issue in Spotorno goes beyond this particular beach, as the town could become one of the first in Italy to enforce the June 30, 2027 deadline for putting existing private beach concessions out to public tender. This obligation is linked to European rules known as the Bolkestein Directive.

For nearly two decades, beach concessions have been among the issues that have caused the most sustained tensions between Italy and the European Union.

For years, Italian governments opposed the full implementation of competition rules. They faced pressure from the owners and managers of private beaches, who feared that open procedures could jeopardize their businesses, which in many cases generate substantial profits.

Ultimately, under pressure from Brussels and following rulings by Italian courts, Giorgia Meloni’s government was forced to agree to comply with the relevant deadlines.

Thus, in Spotorno, the nuns who have managed the same beach since 1946 now face an unusual condition: to continue their work, they must win a public tender.